Paula Abdul has settled the sexual assault and gender violence lawsuit she brought against her former “American Idol” boss Nigel Lythgoe in December 2023.
Abdul, 62, and Lythgoe, 75, who worked together on “Idol” and “So You Think You Can Dance,” settled the case this week, according to L.A. County Superior Court documents viewed by TMZ.
“I am grateful that this chapter has successfully come to a close and is now something I can now put behind me. This has been a long and hard-fought personal battle,” Abdul said in a statement shared with the Daily News.
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Nigel Lythgoe and Paula Abdul appear as judges on ‘So You Think You Can Dance’. (Getty)
“I hope my experience can serve to inspire other women, facing similar struggles, to overcome their own challenges with dignity and respect, so that they too can turn the page and begin a new chapter of their lives,” continued the Grammy winner.
It’s unknown whether the settlement terms including an exchange of money.
Attorneys for Abdul and Lythgoe did not immediately return The News’ request for comment.
Abdul filed her lawsuit against Lythgoe in late December of last year and said he twice sexually assaulted her.
The first alleged incident is said to have occurred in a hotel room during the early years of her tenure on “Idol,” which spanned 2002 to 2009. Abdul accused Lythgoe of having “grabbed her genitals and breasts, and began shoving his tongue down her throat,” according to the lawsuit. She said she was able to run out.
While judging “SYTYCD” in 2015, Abdul said Lythgoe “forced himself on top of” her during what she believed to be a professional dinner at his home, tried to kiss her and said they’d “make an excellent ‘power couple.’”
Lythgoe has denied the allegations.
In early January, Lythgoe “voluntarily” exited the Fox reality competition series, which he said was to keep the focus on “dance and dancers.”
Two months later, he shared multiple emails and posts from Abdul, which he said proved they were on good terms and had a long-running friendship. Abdul’s lawyer dismissed the move as “classic victim shaming.”
