Nigel Lythgoe made a jest about wanting to mistreat Paula Abdul prior to allegations in a lawsuit
Nigel Lythgoe has previously expressed a desire to support Paula Abdul after she faced mistreatment from Simon Cowell. This statement emerges amidst the startling claims made by Abdul about Lythgoe.
In a resurfaced interview from 2017, Nigel Lythgoe expressed a desire to be the next person to support Paula Abdul, following mistreatment allegations against her by Simon Cowell. This came to light amidst recent claims that Lythgoe himself sexually assaulted the singer.
Denying Paula’s “shocking” accusations of sexual assault, the American Idol producer, Nigel Lythgoe, refuted the 61-year-old’s claims documented in court papers. A lawsuit filed in California on Friday accused Lythgoe, aged 74, of “sexual assaults and harassment” during their time collaborating on American Idol and ‘So You Think You Can Dance?’ reality shows in the US.
Recent revelations show that in a 2017 interview with The Daily Beast, Nigel appeared to make a jesting comment about wanting to be “the next person to abuse” Paula after her reported mistreatment by Simon Cowell.
During the interview, the conversation highlighted the duo’s dynamic, describing their banter as they “poke fun at each other” and “tease one another”. The interviewer emphasized their evident camaraderie, stating, “The crucial thing is that they so clearly like each other.”
Reflecting on their long-standing connection, Lythgoe expressed admiration for Paula, mentioning their history in the UK before working together in the States. He remarked, “To be honest, I was an admirer of Paula back in the UK before I came here to the States. To be able to work with her on Idol for all those years and see how she was mistreated by Simon…”
Abdul interjected with a retort, followed by Lythgoe’s lighthearted comment, “So abused and mistreated. I wanted to be the next person to abuse her.”
This recent disclosure follows Lythgoe’s statement to TMZ, where he vehemently denied Abdul’s allegations. He conveyed, “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.”
