Paula Abdul filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles on Friday (December 29th), accusing American Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe of sexual assault. The Grammy winner said Lythgoe assaulted her once in the early aughts and once in 2015.
Court documents obtained by NBC News state that during an early season of the show, Lythgoe “shoved” Abdul against the wall in an elevator, “grabbed her genitals and breasts, and began shoving his tongue down her throat.” Afterwards, although she was distraught, Abdul “ultimately decided not to take action for fear that Lythgoe would have her fired from 'American Idol.'”
The lawsuit also states that she was “discriminated against in terms of compensation and benefits compared to one of the show’s male judges and the host.” Lythgoe has denied Abdul’s claims.