Nigel Lythgoe leaves So You Think You Can Dance amid Paula Abdul sexual assault allegations
Nigel Lythgoe is leaving his producer and judge roles on the FOX show So You Think You Can Dance after former SYTYCD and American Idol judge Paula Abdul filed a sexual assault lawsuit against him.
Lythgoe co-created the dance series with Simon Fuller, but will not be credited as an executive producer on the upcoming season 18, set to premiere on March 4. Lythgoe said in a statement that he’s voluntarily leaving the show and will “dedicate” himself to clearing his name.
“I have informed the producers of So You Think You Can Dance of my decision to step back from participating in this year’s series,” the statement reads. “I did so with a heavy heart but entirely voluntarily because this great program has always been about dance and dancers, and that’s where its focus needs to remain. In the meantime, I am dedicating myself to clearing my name and restoring my reputation.”
FOX and producers confirm SYTYCD 18 will proceed
Fox and SYTYCD producers 19 Entertainment and Dick Clark Productions said in a separate statement, “19 Entertainment, Dick Clark Productions, and Fox can confirm the upcoming season of So You Think You Can Dance will proceed, although without Nigel Lythgoe, to ensure the show remains committed to the contestants, who have worked incredibly hard for the opportunity to compete on our stage. No decision has been made as to a replacement judge for this season.”
However, the series will be taped from beginning to end, and part of the series was filmed in Atlanta, Georgia last month, with Nigel Lythgoe on the panel. A judge can’t be edited out of pre-taped segments easily. Or at all, probably. Perhaps as in season 17, when So You Think You Can Dance weathered another scandal, Lythgoe will be replaced at the point where the show stopped filming. In 2022, Matt Morrison was fired from SYTYCD 17 after a contestant accused him of inappropriate “flirty” texts. Leah Remini stepped in to take Morrison’s place.
Comfort Fedoke, Allison Holker and Maks Chmerkovskiy are also serving as judges.
Paula Abdul bombshell lawsuit claiming Nigel Lythgoe sexually assaulted her
In her lawsuit against Lythgoe, Paula describes two incidents where she claims Nigel sexually assaulted her. In an incident that took place during the early seasons of American Idol, she claims Lythgoe grabbed her breasts and genitals and tried to kiss her while the crew was out on the road to film auditions.
Paula Abdul Sues American Idol Exec Nigel Lythgoe for Sexual Assault
Additionally, she claims that in 2015, after signing a new contract to serve as judge on SYTYCD, Lythgoe forced himself on top of her while she was on a couch and tried to kiss her. He invited her to his home under the guise that he wanted to discuss business, she said. Also in 2015, Paula claims she witnessed Lythgoe groping one of her assistants.
Paula did not report the incidents at the time due to fear of retaliation. The suit alleges that Lythgoe’s behavior was common knowledge. She is suing Lythgoe, 19 Entertainment, FremantleMedia North America, American Idol Productions, and Dance Nation Productions. for sexual assault and battery, sexual harassment, gender violence and negligence. She is using California’s Sexual Abuse and Cover Up Accountability Act which gives plaintiffs a window to file claims that would otherwise be past the statute of limitations.
Lythgoe denied Paula’s allegations in a statement to TMZ
After Paula Abdul filed, two contestants from a short-lived ABC reality show accused Lythgoe of sexual assault
After Paula Abdul filed her suit, two anonymous contestants from a short-lived ABC reality show that Lythgoe produced also filed a lawsuit. Jane Doe K.G. and Jane Doe K.N. have filed a sexual assault/battery, sexual harassment and negligence civil suit against John Roe N.L. over an alleged attack in May 2003. Nobody in the suit is fully named, but Deadline confirmed that John Roe N.L. is Lythgoe.
The two plaintiffs, seeking a jury trial, say the incident took place after the single-season show’s finale party, when Lythgoe allegedly drove the women to a Los Angeles home instead of the studio where he promised to take them, to meet others. The lawsuit claims that Lythgoe forced kisses and pushed his body up against the plaintiffs. (Read complaint HERE.)
However, the complaint was filed later than December 31, 2023, which was the deadline to take advantage of The Sexual Abuse and Cover Up Accountability Act. The Jane Does’ complaint states they are filing under the statue, but filed the suit on January 2, two days beyond the deadline. Paula filed her lawsuit, using the same statute on time (Dec 31).
