Nigel Lythgoe accused of sexual assault by two more women following Paula Abdul claims

Two contestants on Lythgoe's All American Girl claim he 'openly groped' them and aggresively shoved them
Nigel Lythgoe and Paula Abdul
Getty Images
Dominique Hines3 January 2024
The Weekender

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Nigel Lythgoe is facing abuse allegations from two more women after Paula Abdul sued him claiming "multiple" instances of sexual assault and battery last week.

The women have claimed he "openly swatted and groped" their butts and tried to force himself on them when they were contestants on his 2003 ABC talent show All American Girl.

The 74-year-old TV talent show producer is facing the allegations under California's Sexual Abuse and Cover Up Accountability Act which lifts the statute of limitation for historic cases.

His new accusers allege that he tried to coax one of them into his car for a trip to a wrap party after the program's only season ended.

When her pal insisted on accompanying them, Lythgoe is said to have driven them to his home where he pulled up the jumper of one of them and "engulfed" her while trying to kiss her. 

According to court documents seen by TMZ, the veteran producer also aggressively shoved one of the women against a grand piano and tried to force his tongue into her mouth.

The accusers, who are suing anonymously, claim he would repeatedly show up in their dressing rooms and would openly grab their bottoms despite their objections.

Adbul, meanwhile, alleges sexual assaults while she and Lythgoe worked together on talent shows American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance. The 61-year-old alleges a sexual assault took place during an early season of American Idol in the early 2000s.

The music tycoon, receiving his star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame in 2021, has avoided public scandals for most of his lengthy career
The music tycoon, receiving his star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame in 2021, has avoided public scandals for most of his lengthy career
Getty Images

She claims Mr Lythgoe, who was an executive producer on American Idol, sexually assaulted her in an elevator, before she escaped and informed her management from her hotel room.

However, the suit claims she chose not to take action “for fear that Lythgoe would have her fired from American Idol.”

The next alleged incident is said to have occurred a decade later at a meeting at his home in Los Angeles in 2015.

According to Ms Abdul’s claim, he allegedly “forced himself on top of Abdul while she was seated on his couch and attempted to kiss her while proclaiming that the two would make an excellent 'power couple’”.

She then pushed him off her and left, the court filings claim. Ms Abdul claims she witnessed Mr Lythgoe assault one of his assistants during the filming of So You Think You Can Dance while in Las Vegas.

He has denied Abdul's claims and has slammed his former American Idol co-judge "erratic". The Standard has contact a representative for Mr Lythgoe about the fresh accusations.

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