Nigel Lythgoe Faces a Third Sexual Assault Lawsuit

Nigel Lythgoe is facing a third sexual assault lawsuit after Paula Abdul and two reality stars previously filed lawsuits against him.

The complaint obtained by NBC News was filed on Feb. 17 in Los Angeles Superior Court. The producer is being sued by an unnamed woman for sexual assault and battery, gender violence, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. In the complaint, the woman says Lythgoe sexually assault her after meeting at a Beverly Hills hotel while she was having dinner with friends and family.

A representative for Lythgoe declined immediate comment (via phone call) to NBC News.

The complaint says that Lythgoe offered to give the woman a ride home despite her declining the offer.

“Lythgoe continued to press. Ultimately, Plaintiff agreed to the ride,” the complaints read. “Unfortunately, Lythgoe’s intentions were not innocent.” 

According to the complaint, shortly after entering the vehicle, Lythgoe began to grope and kiss the woman, who attempted to push him off “but he only became more forceful.” The woman said that the driver passed her home and during the ride she “struggled to both keep Lythgoe off her and instruct his driver how to get back to her home, but Lythgoe would not relent. At one point, Lythgoe shoved his hand up Plaintiff’s skirt and penetrated her genitalia.”

“It is troubling to hear of yet another alleged incident of a woman being taken advantage of and abused by a prominent public figure,” said Melissa N. Eubanks, senior counsel with Johnson & Johnson, LLP, in a statement made after the filing of the complaint. “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.”

Nigel Lythgoe stepped down from ‘So You Think You Can Dance’

This lawsuit comes a month after Lythgoe announced that he would be stepping down as a judge on “So You Think You Can Dance” for its upcoming season.

“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. 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,” Lythgoe said in a statement to NBC News on Jan. 5. “In the meantime, I am dedicating myself to clearing my name and restoring my reputation.”

Paula Abdul accuses Nigel Lythgoe of sexual assault 

Paula Abdul accused Lythgoe of sexually assaulting her in a lawsuit filed Dec. 29, 2023. In the complaint, Abdul said that during an early season of “American Idol,” which Lythgoe served as an executive producer, he “shoved” her against a wall in an elevator at a hotel and “grabbed her genitals and breasts, and began shoving his tongue down her throat.”

Abdul also worked with Lythgoe when she was a judge on “So You Think You Can Dance.”

Following the lawsuit, Lythgoe released a statement saying he was shocked and saddened by the singer’s allegations.  

“To say that I am shocked and saddened by the allegations made against me by Paula Abdul is a wild understatement. For more than two decades, Paula and I have interacted as dear — and entirely platonic — friends and colleagues. 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 said in a statement obtained by NBC News. “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.”

Abdul did not respond to TODAY.com’s request for comment at the time. 

A second lawsuit is filed against Nigel Lythgoe 

Shortly after Abdul’s lawsuit, two unnamed contestants on the reality show “All American Girl” accused Lythgoe of sexual assault in a Jan. 2 lawsuit. The lawsuit alleged that the producer forcibly attempted to kiss the two women at a 2003 wrap party for the show. It also stated that Lythgoe “walked around the set and dressing rooms and openly swatted and groped” the two women “and other contestants’ buttocks.” 

Lythgoe did not release a statement following the allegations against him.