Manufacturer Nigel Lythgoe is dealing with a 2d sexual attack lawsuit not up to one week after Paula Abdul‘s accusations made headlines.
Consistent with a couple of retailers, the brand new go well with used to be filed Tuesday, January 2, via two contestants who gave the impression at the 2003 festival display All American Woman, which looked for the country’s “most well-rounded women” The accusers have been recognized as Jane Doe Ok.G. and Jane Doe Ok.L. whilst Lythgoe, 74, used to be indexed as John Roe N.L. (TMZ and Cut-off date have showed Lythgoe is the defendant.)
The lawsuit alleges that Lythgoe drove the contestants to a space in Los Angeles after filming at the truth sequence had wrapped reasonably than assembly up with others at a studio as used to be in the beginning deliberate. One of the crucial accusers claims Lythgoe pinned her in opposition to a piano and compelled his tongue onto her face regardless of her makes an attempt to tug away.
Sooner than filming wrapped, Lythgoe allegedly groped the contestants on set and smacked their rear ends. (Us Weekly has reached out to Lythgoe for remark.)
The second one set of accusations comes in a while after Abdul, 61, sued Lythgoe for alleged misconduct at the set of American Idol, for which he used to be a manufacturer till 2014. Abdul gave the impression as a pass judgement on at the making a song festival for its first 8 seasons.
In her lawsuit, which used to be filed simply sooner than the brand new yr, Abdul alleged that Lythgoe “verbally insulted and belittled” her and referred to as her a “has-been” after they met to speak about her judging place. She due to this fact claimed that Lythgoe sexually assaulted her in a lodge elevator whilst they have been touring for auditions throughout one among her “initial seasons” of Idol, alleging that he “shoved [her] against the wall” and groped her.
Whilst Abdul didn't state the yr of the primary alleged come across, she claimed some other incident befell in 2014. Lythgoe allegedly invited Abdul to his house for dinner to speak about skilled issues and “forced himself on top of [her]” and “attempted to kiss her.”
Consistent with the go well with, “Abdul pushed Lythgoe off of her, explaining that she was not interested in his advances and immediately left.”
Following her time on Idol, Abdul in short joined the judging panel of So You Suppose You Can Dance, the place she allegedly witnessed Lythgoe sexually attack one among her assistants with out consent. (Lythgoe is the author and government manufacturer of the truth dance festival and in addition serves as a pass judgement on.)
Lythgoe denied Abdul’s allegations in a observation to Us, noting that he used to be “shocked and saddened” via the accusations. “For more than two decades, Paula and I have interacted as dear — and entirely platonic — friends and colleagues,” he said. “Yesterday, however, out of the blue, I learned of these claims in the press and I want to be clear: not only are they false, they are deeply offensive to me and to everything I stand for.”
He endured, “While Paula’s history of erratic behavior is well known, I can’t pretend to understand exactly why she would file a lawsuit that she must know is untrue. But I can promise that I will fight this appalling smear with everything I have.”
Should you or any individual you realize has been sexually assaulted, touch the Nationwide Sexual Attack Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).