Paula Abdul Files Sexual Assault and Harassment Lawsuit Against Former “American Idol” and “So You Think You Can Dance” Executive Producer Nigel Lythgoe

Grammy-winning singer and former “American Idol” judge Paula Abdul has filed a lawsuit against former “American Idol” and “So You Think You Can Dance” executive producer Nigel Lythgoe, accusing him of sexual assault and harassment.

The suit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court under the Sexual Abuse and Cover Up Accountability Act, alleges that Lythgoe assaulted Abdul in the early 2000s and around 2015.

Abdul claims that during one of the initial seasons of “American Idol,” Lythgoe “shoved” her against the wall of an elevator, “grabbed her genitals and breasts, and began shoving his tongue down her throat.”

The singer also alleges that she had a strained relationship with “American Idol” producers throughout her time on the show, contending she was paid less than the male judges and subjected to taunts and bullying by show executives and employees.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and a jury trial. Lythgoe has not yet commented on the allegations.

Abdul was a judge on “American Idol” from 2002 to 2009 and on “So You Think You Can Dance” from 2005 to 2008. She won a Grammy Award in 1991 for Best Music Video for her song “Opposites Attract.”