'All American Girl' contestants sue Nigel Lythgoe for sexual assault after Paula Abdul lawsuit
Two women have filed sexual assault lawsuits against Nigel Lythgoe days after Paula Adbul sued the former "American Idol" and "So You Think You Can Dance" producer under similar circumstances.
On Tuesday, Jane Doe K.G. and Jane Doe K.N. accused Lythgoe of sexual assault/battery, sexual harassment and negligence stemming from an alleged attack in May 2003. At the time, they were contestants on ABC's talent competition show "All American Girl," which aired for one season in 2003 and was produced by Lythgoe.
In the lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, Lythgoe is referred to under the pseudonym John Roe N.L., Deadline and TMZ confirmed.
'All American Girl' contestants accuse Nigel Lythgoe of sexual assault, harassment in lawsuit
The Jane Does alleged that Lythgoe drove them to his home in Los Angeles after the "All American Girl" finale party instead of a studio to meet others, according to the documents obtained by USA TODAY.
Once at his home, the contestants said Lythgoe "made sexual advances" to both of them, including "attempting to kiss (Jane Doe K.G.) and pushing her body close to his."
The contestants "did not consent to the contact on any occasion," according to the filing.
USA TODAY has reached out to reps for Lythgoe and lawyers for the plaintiffs.
Following the alleged assault, Jane Doe K.G. and Jane Doe K.N. say they have suffered "emotional distress, embarrassment, loss of self-esteem" and "will continue to incur expenses for medical and psychological treatment, counseling and/or therapy."
The women also named Roe Production Company, a pseudonym, as a defendant in the lawsuit for "failure to maintain a work environment that was free from harm, harassment, assault, battery and/or other unlawful behavior against its employees and agents." It's unclear which production company to which this refers.
Jane Does sued Nigel Lythgoe after deadline for California's Sexual Abuse and Cover-Up Accountability Act
Jane Doe K.G. and Jane Doe K.N. filed their lawsuit under California's Sexual Abuse and Cover-Up Accountability Act on Tuesday. The legislation created a one-year opening to file certain sexual abuse lawsuits that would otherwise be outside the statute of limitations. However, the deadline to file was Dec. 31, 2023.
The lawsuit also is meant to protect individuals who were adults at the time of their alleged assaults. In Jane Doe K.G. and Jane Doe K.N.'s filing, the former contestant is said to have been "born in November 1997," which would have made her 6 years old at the time of the alleged encounter at Lythgoe's home.
Paula Abdul, Nigel Lythgoe allegations explained
Abdul filed suit against Lythgoe on Friday, according to Variety and Rolling Stone, prior to the deadline for California's Sexual Abuse and Cover-Up Accountability Act.
The singer and dancer alleged that Lythgoe sexually assaulted her during one of the "initial seasons" of "Idol," on which she served as a judge for eight seasons starting in 2002, and again in 2014 when she was hosting "SYTYCD."
Paula Abdul sues Nigel Lythgoe,alleges he sexually assaulted her during 'Idol,' 'SYTYCD'
In a statement to USA TODAY on Saturday, the producer denied the allegations and said he was "shocked and saddened."
"Not only are (the claims) false, they are deeply offensive to me and to everything I stand for," Lythgoe said. "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."
In a statement, Abdul's lawyer Douglas Johnson praised Abdul for her decision to come forward.
"Ms. Abdul knows that she stands both in the shoes and on the shoulders of many other similarly situated survivors, and she is determined to see that justice is done," Johnson said.
Abdul had signed a non-disclosure agreement as part of her employment on both shows which prevented her from publicly disclosing "sensitive information."
She says in the suit that she opted not to talk about the allegations because she feared retaliation from Lythgoe. Abdul also says that Lythgoe once called to taunt her that it had been "seven years and the statute of limitations had run" on her window to file a lawsuit.
Who is Nigel Lythgoe?
British-born Lythgoe has produced and judged several competition shows in the U.S. and U.K. He is mostly known for producing "Gladiators" from 1992 to 1999, "American Idol" from 2002 to 2014 and "SYTYCD" from 2005-2014.
Lythgoe was also a choreographer on several projects including "SYTYCD," "The Musical Time Machine," "One More Time!" and more.
Contributing: Melissa Ruggieri, Kim Willis