Nigel Lythgoe accused of sexual assault by Paula Abdul

The producer and judge was born and trained in Wallasey before moving to London

American Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe accused of sexual assault by Paula Abdul

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Former American Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe has been accused of sexual assault by singer Paula Abdul in the early 2000s when she was a judge on the show, according to a new lawsuit.

The lawsuit, filed on Friday, December 29 in Los Angeles, also accuses Wirral-born Mr Lythgoe of sexually assaulting the singer and dancer when she left the show and became a judge on his other competition So You Think You Can Dance. Mr Lythgoe also served as a producer on the British show Pop Idol which became a global franchise.

The lawsuit alleges the first assault happened in a hotel lift while filming auditions for an earlier season of American Idol which premiered in 2002. Ms Abdul said she remained silent for years about the alleged assaults out of fear of retaliation.

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Responding to the allegations, Mr Lythgoe said he was "shocked and saddened" and considered Ms Abdul a "dear" and "entirely platonic" friend. The former dancer, who lived and studied in Wallasey before continuing his training in London, added: "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." Ms Abdul starred as a judge for the first eight seasons of American Idol before leaving in 2009. She later became a judge on So You Think You Can alongside Mr Lythgoe for two seasons.

The lawsuit alleges a further incident happened during a dinner at Mr Lythgoe’s home and accuses him of taunting Ms Abdul years later, saying "they should celebrate" because "the statute of limitations had run". The suit was filed before the December 31 deadline of a California law which opened a one-year window for victims involving sexual abuse claims after the statute of limitations has run out.

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