Paula Abdul settles lawsuit that alleged sexual assault by ‘American Idol’ producer Nigel Lythgoe

By Andrew Dalton, The Associated Press on December 13, 2024.

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Paula Abdul and former “American Idol” producer Nigel Lythgoe have agreed to settle a lawsuit in which she alleged he sexually assaulted her in the early 2000s when she was a judge on the show.

Abdul filed a notice of settlement of the case in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday. It still must be approved by a judge. Emails to attorneys for both sides seeking comment were not immediately answered.

The lawsuit filed nearly a year ago had also accused Lythgoe of sexually assaulting Abdul after she left “American Idol” and became a judge on Lythgoe’s other competition show, “So You Think You Can Dance.”

Lythgoe said at the time that he was “shocked and saddened” by the allegations, which he called “an appalling smear.”

After other lawsuits were filed alleging sexual misconduct, Lythgoe stepped down in January from his role as a judge on “So You Think You Can Dance.”

The 75-year-old English-born producer has been a prominent TV producer for decades in both the U.K. and the U.S., working on reality competition shows including “American Idol.”

The Associated Press generally does not identify alleged victims of sexual assault unless they come forward publicly, as Abdul has done.