Lythgoe became a household name in Britain in 2000 as a judge on ITV’s Popstars, before developing Pop Idol.
He then moved to the US to launch American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance. He was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 2015, and in 2021 received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The lawsuit alleged that Lythgoe taunted Abdul, saying that “the statute of limitations had run” and she had no legal recourse.
“Lythgoe clearly knew that his assaults of Abdul were not just wrong but that he held the power to keep her silent,” it claimed.
However, she filed the suit on Friday under California’s Sexual Abuse and Cover-Up Accountability Act, which in January created a one-year window to file sexual abuse complaints that would otherwise be outside the statute of limitations.
Abdul lodged her complaint with the LA Superior Court three days before the Dec 31 deadline.
‘Fear of speaking out’
The lawsuit claimed: “For years, Abdul has remained silent about the sexual assaults and harassment she experienced on account of Lythgoe due to fear of speaking out against one of the most well-known producers of television competition shows, who could easily break her career as a television personality, and of being ostracised and blackballed by an industry that had a pattern of protecting powerful men and silencing survivors of sexual assault and harassment.”
Abdul also alleged that she was subject to “constant taunts, bullying, humiliation and harassment” while working on American Idol, where she was a judge from 2002-09.
The former pop star and choreographer was a judge on So You Think You Can Dance from 2015-17. According to the lawsuit, she signed non-disclosure agreements for both shows.
Abdul is seeking unspecified damages. Lythgoe has not responded to requests for comment.
Carol Dennis is an entertainment aficionado with an eye for all things pop culture. She dives into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry, from movie premieres to music festivals. Carol’s passion for storytelling extends beyond her reporting, as she’s an aspiring screenwriter in her free time.
