06 March 2024 , 14:17
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Nigel Lythgoe has been accused of sexual assault and battery in a new lawsuit.
It's the fourth case against the former So You Think You Can Dance judge, including claims by singer Paula Abdul. An unnamed woman has accused the 74-year-old British television executive of "groping her all over" before allegedly pinning her against a wall.
Per court documents filed in Los Angeles, obtained by BBC News, the anonymous woman was left feeling "horribly violated" and suffered "severe emotional and psychological distress" after the alleged assault in 2018.
Paula claimed in court papers she was the victim of two assaults (FilmMagic)"Mr Lythgoe allegedly forced himself upon our client during what was supposed to be a business meeting and then terminated their relationship when she did not acquiesce," her lawyer Melissa Eubanks explains in the filling, per the outlet.
The Mirror has approached Nigel's representatives for comment.
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He's denied all previous allegations and gave no comment to US news outlets about the latest lawsuit. Lythgoe stepped down from hit US talent show So You Think You Can Dance after denying Paula Abdul's "shocking" sexual assault claims in January.
Paula, 61, claimed in court papers she was the victim of two assaults by the 74-year-old. A lawsuit filed in California last year accused Lythgoe of "sexual assaults and harassment" while the pair worked on American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance.
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Lythgoe has said it is with a "heavy heart" that he has decided to step back from the upcoming series amid the allegations of sexual assault. "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," Lythgoe said in a statement given to the PA news agency.
"I did so with a heavy heart but entirely voluntarily because this great programme has always been about dance and dancers, and that’s where its focus needs to remain.
He explained: "In the meantime, I am dedicating myself to clearing my name and restoring my reputation." Lythgoe released a statement to US outlet TMZ denying the claims that Abdul has made about him. Speaking to the site, he said: "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. 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."