Nigel Lythgoe is denying Paula Abdul’s sexual assault claims towards him.
In courtroom paperwork obtained by PEOPLE filed Oct. 15, the producer known as Abdul’s claims that he sexually assaulted her “appalling lies.”
The reply comes after the singer, 62, submitted her “first amended grievance” with new particulars of the alleged incidents, together with claims that she was additionally assaulted by Lythgoe throughout the identical incident as her assistant in April 2015. In her preliminary lawsuit, Abdul claimed solely her assistant was assaulted in an incident in April 2015.
The brand new paperwork declare that in Abdul’s authentic grievance, she alleged Lythgoe assaulted her on “some unidentified date throughout ‘one among American Idol’s preliminary seasons,’ (within the early 2000s) and once more [at] or across the time [she] was engaged on So You Assume You Can Dance (within the 2015/2016 time interval), and that she witnessed her assistant supposedly being assaulted by Lythgoe in April 2015.”
The reply submitted by Lythgoe claims Abdul was “imprecise each as to the timing of the alleged assault and as to the small print of the supposed incident” and couldn’t “kind the premise of any of her claims towards Lythgoe.”
Due to this fact, Lythgoe argues within the paperwork, she “out of the blue ‘remembered’ further particulars of the alleged 2015/2016 assault and that she additionally purportedly was assaulted by Lythgoe in April 2015, throughout the identical alleged incident involving her assistant.”
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“It stretches credulity that Abdul would supposedly keep in mind witnessing her assistant allegedly being assaulted by Lythgoe in April 2015 and but apparently ‘overlook,’ till the submitting of her FAC, that she additionally allegedly was assaulted at that very same time — not to mention be capable of out of the blue keep in mind particular particulars of the alleged incident, as her FAC now alleges,” Lythgoe claims within the doc.
Lythgoe’s response went on to level out the instances Abdul had “expressed her constructive emotions towards Lythgoe.”
The docs embrace alleged non-public emails, textual content messages and social media statements Abdul made “throughout and after the time she now alleges the abuse occurred.” The reply continued, “Abdul expressed how she actually felt about Lythgoe, her buddy and colleague, each during times of time when the 2 labored collectively and during times of time when they didn’t.”
“It’s unthinkable that Abdul would even tolerate Lythgoe’s bodily proximity, not to mention ship him adoring messages and sexually provocative jokes, if her allegations had been true – which, clearly, they don’t seem to be,” the submitting alleges.
The docs comprise numerous alleged textual content messages and emails from the time of the alleged assaults showing to point out Abdul professing her love and gratitude for Lythgoe. Additional proof offered appears to point out that the 2 “long-time buddies” had spent birthdays and holidays collectively, and Lythgoe’s aspect claimed she was “seldom” on the set of American Idol or So You Assume You Can Dance with out safety.
One alleged electronic mail from Abdul to Lythgoe on June 20, 2014 learn:
“Hello Nigel, Thanks for the gorgeous flowers – they had been beautiful! However, I’ve to say the kicker was the birthday card final evening. I’m nonetheless howling! I additionally needed to let you know the way glad I used to be to have you ever and Andrea be a part of me on my special occasion! I do know you had a earlier dedication and was very touched that you just had been in a position to transfer issues round to rejoice with me. I actually recognize our friendship and am trying ahead to launching our undertaking. Xo Xo Paula.”
Rodin Eckenroth/Getty, Kristina Bumphrey/Selection by way of Getty
In one other electronic mail from June 9, 2015 she allegedly wrote, “Yippee!!! I’m so ‘eff-ing’ glad & thrilled for you!!!! Method to go, sweetheart! You’re so deserved! Mazel Tov…” She ended her notice, “I really like your guts!!! xo P.”
Lythgoe continued to disclaim all allegations and accuse Abdul of getting a “tactical marketing campaign” of “defaming falsehoods” that “weaponize the local weather towards” him.
“Abdul’s accusations towards Lythgoe are false, despicable, insupportable, and life-changing,” the doc learn, occurring to assert the American Idol choose has a “lengthy historical past” of telling tales “to draw consideration.”
“Abdul has abused the authorized course of for her personal private and egocentric positive aspects,” the docs declare.
PEOPLE reached out to Abdul’s lawyer for remark however didn’t instantly hear again.
Citing interviews relating to Abdul’s previous denials and admissions of substance abuse, together with claims she had been in a aircraft crash in 1992 with allegedly no proof, Lythgoe’s reply known as Abdul “a pathological liar and a focus seeker.”
“She invents tales after which she doubles down, all the time working to make herself seem the sufferer,” it concluded. “Constant along with her previous sample of telling lies about incidents that allegedly occurred to her, Abdul’s current allegations towards Lythgoe are pure fiction. There is just one sufferer right here and that’s Lythgoe, whose life and profession have been decimated by Abdul’s lies.”
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Prior to now, Abdul’s group has known as Lythgoe out for “basic sufferer shaming” after his response to her preliminary submitting.
“Mr. Lythgoe fails to understand that he held a place of energy over Ms. Abdul. He was a producer on American Idol and SYTYCD and she or he was the expertise,” Abdul’s lawyer Melissa Eubanks claimed. “He held the playing cards to her profession in his hand and he knew it. It thus is not any shock that Ms. Abdul placated to his ego with constructive messaging and seeming adoration. These are the defenses that many ladies like Ms. Abdul needed to undertake to cope with males who abuse their energy.”
The assertion additionally mentioned Lythgoe’s preliminary reply “cherry-picks” from years of message exchanges with Abdul in an effort to “discredit her claims.”
“What his picks fail to point out are the quite a few cases of overt sexual harassment he compelled Ms. Abdul to tolerate,” she acknowledged earlier than noting examples from conversations that date again to 2014.
“There are a number of cases of such verbal assaults towards Ms. Abdul, that are proof of the frequent abusive habits that Ms. Abdul was subjected to throughout her time on American Idol and SYTYCD,” it ended.
When you or somebody you already know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the Nationwide Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.
