Paula Abdul has hit back at American Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe, accusing him of ‘vitriolic attacks’ on her character after he denies her claims that he sexually assaulted and harassed her.
In new court documents obtained by DailyMail.com, the 61 year-old singer shared several texts from Lythgoe in which he made risqué suggestions to her including, ‘Let’s gently make love before my drugs wear off’ and ‘Is a small grope of the a** asking too much?’
Abdul filed a lawsuit against Lythgoe, 74, in December, alleging sexual assault and battery on two separate occasions while she was working for him between 2002 and 2015.
And earlier this month, the British reality TV mogul filed an answer, vehemently denying Abdul’s allegations, saying she was ‘untethered from reality’ and portrayed her as a drug abuser who used to ‘drool and pass out in audition rooms’ during her time on Idol.
Paula Abdul filed a lawsuit in December against American Idol executive producer Nigel Lythgoe for sexual assault between 2002 and 2015
Earlier this month, Lythgoe vehemently denied Abdul’s charges, saying she was ‘untethered from reality’. They are pictured together in 2013
In new documents obtained by DailyMail.com, the singer shared texts from Lythgoe in which he said, ‘Let’s gently make love before my drugs wear off’
Lythgoe’s March 5 response – filed the same day another unnamed woman sued him for sexual assault and battery – contained several affectionate texts and emails from Abdul that he claimed prove the two were actually close friends and ‘show how Abdul really felt about Lythgoe during and after the time she now alleges abuse occurred.’
Now, in her new court filing, Abdul is hitting back with a motion calling for most of Lythgoe’s 22-page answer to her lawsuit to be stricken from the case because his allegations against her are ‘immaterial, false and improper.’
Abdul’s lawyers illustrated Lythgoe’s ‘sexual harassment’ with their own slew of sexy texts he sent her. In one he says, ‘When you get back to LA, will you please make love to me…slowly and lovingly!’
In another, he writes, ‘I’ll come if you promise me a big wet kiss….with tongues!…Is a small grope of the a** asking too much?’
And in a third he writes, ‘Wanna come round and take off that beautiful dress, jump in the pool naked with me? Let’s cling to each other like we’re the last 2 people on Earth and gently make love before my drugs wear off? HaHa!’
Lythgoe’s response ‘is rife with argumentative and vitriolic character attacks on Ms. Abdul and superfluous background that are irrelevant to the sexual assault, battery and harassment claims pled by Ms. Abdul or the defenses asserted by Lythgoe,’ her attorneys state.
‘Lythgoe’s answer clearly is a blatant attempt to smear Ms. Abdul’s reputation and to cure the negative press he has received from now being sued by five separate women for sexual assault and battery.’
Calling Lythgoe’s filed response ‘false and misleading,’ the star’s attorneys accuse him of ‘cherry-picking’ the texts and emails he included in his answer ‘to suggest a friendly relationship while conveniently failing to include messages supporting Ms. Abdul’s claims that she was sexually assaulted and harassed by Lythgoe for years.’
Of Lythgoe’s claims that emails and texts from Abdul show the two were close friends, her attorneys argued, ‘Whether Ms. Abdul gave public praise or adoration to Lythgoe – an executive producer on two shows she worked on – or otherwise approached him with kindness and friendliness cannot negate her claims that Lythgoe sexually assaulted or abused her.
‘The fact that a victim was friendly to their abuser in situations unrelated to the alleged sexual assault and battery does not make the assault and battery any more or less likely to have occurred.
‘Indeed, there is substantial research showing it is common for a victim to respond too their abuser in such a manner.’
Abdul first alleged that she was ‘verbally insulted and belittled by Lythgoe’ during initial meetings to join American Idol in 2001.
She said that Nigel had told her ‘she was a has been celebrity and probably wouldn’t be known by the show’s contestants despite others believing she was exactly what they were looking for.’
The two-time Emmy winner had ‘grave reservations about appearing on the show and informed her representatives about such concerns’ but both she and her team hoped that the incident was only a ‘one-time’ occurrence.
In her new court filing, Abdul is hitting back with a motion calling for most of Lythgoe’s 22-page answer to her lawsuit to be stricken from the case because his allegations against her are ‘immaterial, false and improper’
Paula claimed in court documents that the first instance of sexual assault had happened during one of American Idol’s first seasons, while on the road for regional auditions.
‘One evening, following the day’s auditions, Lythgoe and Abdul entered the elevator of the hotel where they were staying,’ the legal docs read.
‘Upon entering the elevator, Lythgoe shoved Abdul against the wall, then grabbed her genitals and breasts, and began shoving his tongue down her throat.’
The lawsuit claims that the DWTS guest judge ‘attempted to push’ Nigel away and that she hurried to her room once the elevator doors opened. She immediately reached out to her reps to inform them of the incident.
The second alleged occurrence took place during a dinner held at the former dancer-choreographer’s house, after Paula had signed a contract to appear as a judge on SYTYCD in 2015 – the same year he was awarded the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire).
Assuming the dinner was on a professional basis, Abdul attended the dinner. However, the Muppets Mayhem guest star claimed that at one point, while they were both sitting on a couch, Nigel had tried force himself on top of her.
Paula also stated in the documents that Lythgoe had also ‘attempted to kiss’ her while telling her that they would make an ‘excellent power couple.’
The lawsuit claims that Abdul, ‘pushed him off, explaining she was not interested in his advances, and immediately left.’
However, due to fear of ‘possible implications to her career,’ the Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers star chose to stay quiet on the incident.
In the documents, Paula additionally claimed that she had witnessed Nigel sexually assault one of her assistants.
The star is not only suing Nigel, but also 19 Entertainment and Fremantle Media North America.
‘Throughout her tenure on American Idol, Abdul not only was discriminated against in terms of compensation and benefits as compared to one of the show’s male judges and host (making nearly pennies to the dollar of what one of her male counterparts were making)…’ said her lawsuit.
‘But she was the target of constant taunts, bullying, humiliation, and harassment from Lythgoe and other executives, agents, employees, and/or representatives of the show’s producers, 19 Entertainment and Fremantle.’
In his answer to her lawsuit, Lythgoe calls Abdul a ‘well-documented fabulist, with a long history of telling wild stories that are untethered from reality and are primarily designed to attract attention and make Abdul appear to be the victim of dreadful misfortune.’
Paula claimed in court documents that the first instance of sexual assault had happened during one of American Idol’s first seasons, while on the road for regional auditions. Paula seen with Randy Jackson, Simon Cowell and Lythgoe in 2005
She claims a second occurrence took place during a dinner held at the former dancer-choreographer’s house. She claimed that at one point, while they were both sitting on a couch, Lythgoe had tried force himself on top of her; seen in 2013 in LA
Paula additionally claimed that she had witnessed Nigel sexually assault one of her assistants
Among the online communications he included in his response was a September 12 2014 email from Abdul to him reading, in part: ‘Hi sweetheart — thank you for this lovely ‘gift.’ Please forgive me for not calling yesterday. Forever grateful to have you in my life! Love, love LOVE YOU! XO P.
Another, dated June 20, 2014, says: Thank you for the beautiful flowers — they were exquisite! But, I have to say the kicker was the birthday card last night. I am still howling! I truly appreciate our friendship and am looking forward to launching our project.’
The filing also included Abdul’s public tweets at his account, starting in 2009 and continuing through 2015 when they both worked on So You Think You Can Dance?
Abdul shared photos of the pair together and tweeted on Thanksgiving ‘I’m grateful that I met you too, Nigel! Have a very Happy Thanksgiving! xoxoP.’
Lythgoe claimed the messages ‘show how Abdul really felt about Lythgoe during and after the time she now alleges abuse occurred.’
He said that he pushed for her to be hired on Idol and SYTYCD ‘despite the opposition from other executives due to Abdul’s already well-known erratic behavior.’
He also maintained that her alleged substance abuse issues caused concern for executives on Idol, alleging: ‘At her worst, Abdul was slurring her speech, unintelligible, drooling and passing out in audition rooms, having to be carried out on two separate occasions.
Abdul has previously revealed her past dependency on painkillers. In 2009 she revealed she had been reliant on them for 12 years.
Lythgoe asserted that her credibility has been called into question on a serious issue’, the plane crash she says she survived in 1992.
‘There are no records whatsoever of the supposed plane crash,’ he said. ‘In one interview Abdul explained that she was able to keep the story under wraps with NDAs and because ‘there was no internet at the time.’ In another interview, she explained that at the time of the crash, there were ‘no computers.”
Lythgoe is asking the court to dismiss Abdul’s lawsuit and he wants her to cover his attorney fees.
Paula notably appeared as one of the original judges on American Idol from 2002 through 2009. Nigel had been one of the executive producers on the hit show.
She later became a judge on the American version of So You Think You Can Dance alongside Lythgoe during the show’s 12th season, but made her exit shortly before season 14 to focus on her tour.
She later became a judge on the American version of So You Think You Can Dance alongside Lythgoe during the show’s 12th season, but made her exit shortly before season 14 to focus on her tour; seen in 2015 with judge Jason Derulo and Lythgoe
Abdul made the decision to finally come forward with the lawsuit due to California’s Sexual Abuse and Cover Up Accountability Act.
The law, which was officially passed earlier this year, offers a ‘three-year window for survivors of sexual assault to file a claim and recover damages as a result of crimes that occurred on or after January 1, 2009
From January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2026, sexual assault and abuse claims, which would otherwise be barred by the statute of limitations, will be revived and officially be eligible to be brought in civil court.
The former LA Laker Girl’s successful career began as a choreographer when she was discovered by The Jacksons.
She later released her debut studio album, Forever Your Girl, in 1988 – which launched her success in the music industry.
Abdul was married to Emilio Estevez from 1992 until their divorce in 1994. She later tied the knot with Brad Beckerman in 1996 until the pair divorced in 1998.
Lythgoe has two sons – Simon, 48; and Kristopher, 44 – from his 33-year marriage to Bonnie Shawe, which ended in 2007.
