Lythgoe says he “will fight this appalling smear with everything I have” and claims Abdul has a “history of erratic behaviour”.
Paula Abdul has accused former American Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe of sexually assaulting her when she was a judge on the show.
The singer’s lawsuit also accuses him of another assault, years later, when she worked on So You Think You Can Dance.
Lythgoe denied the accusations and said he is “shocked and saddened”.
Abdul claims the 74-year-old Briton groped her breasts and genitals and “began shoving his tongue down her throat” in a lift after a day’s filming in the early 2000s.
She said she pushed him away and ran to her hotel room when the doors opened.
Abdul called one of her representatives “but ultimately decided not to take action for fear that Lythgoe would have her fired from American Idol”, the lawsuit states.
