Producer Nigel Lythgoe is facing his third sexual assault lawsuit in two months.
An unnamed woman filed a complaint earlier this month in Los Angeles Superior Court, according to documents obtained by Us Weekly. Lythgoe, 74, is being sued for sexual assault and battery, gender violence and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The woman claimed Lythgoe sexually assaulted her after they met at a hotel in 2016 while she was having dinner with friends and family. Lythgoe allegedly offered to give the woman a ride home, which she initially declined. She eventually agreed to the ride before Lythgoe began to grope and kiss her.
The woman attempted to push Lythgoe off, “but he only became more forceful,” per the complaint. She allegedly “struggled to both keep Lythgoe off her and instruct his driver how to get back to her home, but Lythgoe would not relent.”
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An attorney for the accuser issued a statement after the complaint was filed, which read, “It is troubling to hear of yet another alleged incident of a woman being taken advantage of and abused by a prominent public figure. We are proud to represent Jane Doe and humbled by her courage, and the courage of many other women, to come forward with her story in hopes of ending such egregious misconduct by persons of fame, celebrity, influence, and power.”
Lythgoe’s latest lawsuit comes nearly three months after Paula Abdul sued him for alleged misconduct on the set of American Idol, for which he was a producer from 2002 to 2014.
Abdul, 61, alleged in her December 2023 filing that Lythgoe “verbally insulted and belittled” her and called her a “has-been” when they met to discuss her position on the show. Lythgoe allegedly sexually assaulted Abdul in a hotel elevator while they were traveling for auditions. (Abdul was a judge on Idol from 2002 to 2009.)
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Lythgoe denied Abdul’s claims in a December 2023 statement to Us Weekly. “For more than two decades, Paula and I have interacted as dear — and entirely platonic — friends and colleagues,” he began. “Yesterday, however, out of the blue, I learned of these claims in the press and I want to be clear: not only are they false, they are deeply offensive to me and to everything I stand for.”
He continued, “While Paula’s history of erratic behavior is well known, 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.”
One month later, Lythgoe was sued by two contestants who appeared on the 2003 competition show All American Girl. He was accused of groping the contestants on set and during a ride home after filming wrapped on the reality TV series. Lythgoe subsequently stepped down from So You Think You Can Dance, for which he served as a judge and producer, amid the lawsuits.
Us Weekly has reached out to Lythgoe for comment.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
