Paula Abdul and Nigel Lythgoe Settle Sexual Assault Lawsuit 1 Year After She Sued Him: A 'Hard-Fought Personal Battle' (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Nigel Lythgoe and Paula Abdul.Photo:Rodin Eckenroth/Getty, Kristina Bumphrey/Variety via Getty

Rodin Eckenroth/Getty, Kristina Bumphrey/Variety via Getty

Paula AbdulandNigel Lythgoehave reached a settlement in theirlawsuit.

The request was initially filed on Nov. 12, and a hearing on motion to strike portions of Lythgoe’s answer to the amended complaint was set for Jan. 21, 2025 with a trial date for August 2025, though both dates are expected to be vacated once the court orders the dismissal.

Abdul, 62, spoke out in an exclusive statement to PEOPLE on Friday, Dec. 13, saying she was glad to finally move forward and hopes her story will inspire other women going through similar challenges. “I am grateful that this chapter has successfully come to a close and is now something I can now put behind me,” she said. “This has been a long and hard-fought personal battle. I hope my experience can serve to inspire other women, facing similar struggles, to overcome their own challenges with dignity and respect, so that they too can turn the page and begin a new chapter of their lives.”

In a separate statement to PEOPLE, Lythgoe said: “We live in a troubling time where a person is now automatically assumed to be guilty until proven innocent, a process that can take years. That is why, like Paula, I am glad to be able to put this behind me. I know the truth and that gives me great comfort.”

The settlement comes one year after Abdul sued Lythgoe, who she worked with onAmerican IdolandSo You Think You Can Dance,claiminghe sexually assaulted her on two occasions— once during the early seasons ofIdoland once during her tenure onSYTYCD.She also accused him of sexually assaulting her assistant.

Nigel Lythgoe and Paula Abdul.FOX Image Collection via Getty

FOX Image Collection via Getty

In October 2024, Abdul submitted herfirst amended complaint, which included new details of the incidents and alleged he assaulted her a third time during the same incident that involved her assistant.

Lythgoe submitted a response to the filing that month, calling Abdul’s claims “vague both as to the timing of the alleged assault and as to the details of the supposed incident.” He wrote that they could not “form the basis of any of her claims against Lythgoe.”

In the filing, Lythgoe included several text exchanges between him and Abdul, in which she expressed love for him and their friendship.

“It is unthinkable that Abdul would even tolerate Lythgoe’s physical proximity, let alone send him adoring messages and sexually provocative jokes, if her allegations were true – which, clearly, they are not,” his filing alleged.

Paula Abdul and Nigel Lythgoe.Steve Granitz/WireImage; Paul Archuleta/Getty

Steve Granitz/WireImage; Paul Archuleta/Getty

Abdul’s lawyer responded to Lythgoe’s claims in a statement to PEOPLE at the time, saying: “Mr. Lythgoe’s use of the pleadings in this lawsuit to cast aspersions on Ms. Abdul is not just a futile effort to besmirch Ms. Abdul’s strong reputation but is wholly improper, and Ms. Abdul will be moving to strike Mr. Lythgoe’s filing from the record.”

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In the past, Abdul’s teamcalled Lythgoe’s behavior “classic victim shaming.”

“Mr. Lythgoe fails to appreciate that he held a position of power over Ms. Abdul. He was a producer onAmerican IdolandSYTYCDand she was the talent,” Abdul’s lawyer Melissa Eubanks claimed. “He held the cards to her career in his hand and he knew it. It thus is no surprise that Ms. Abdul placated to his ego with positive messaging and seeming adoration. These are the defenses that many women like Ms. Abdul had to adopt to deal with men who abuse their power.”

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go torainn.org.

source: people.com