US talent show judge Paula Abdul is suing Nigel Lythgoe, the executive producer of reality shows American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance, for sexual assault.
The 61-year-old singer, actor and TV personality rose to fame as a choreographer for The Jacksons in the late 1980s, and subsequently established herself as a successful pop singer.
In recent years she's built a career as a judge on reality contests including American Idol and The X Factor.
US media reports that, in a lawsuit that was filed on Friday December 29, Abdul alleges that 74-year-old Lythgoe sexually assaulted her in a lift during one of the early seasons of American Idol.
She claims that the British-born TV executive shoved her against a wall and groped her, and shoved his tongue down her throat.
She also alleges that, years later, Lythgoe invited her to his home for dinner while she was working as a judge on So You Think You Can Dance.
Thinking it would be a professional encounter, Abdul accepted. But the suit says that Lythgoe forced himself on top of her while she was sitting on his sofa, told her they would make a "great power couple" and attempted to kiss her.
It also accuses Lythgoe of verbal harassment, bullying, and discrimination against Abdul, who claims she was paid less than the male judges on American Idol.
Abdul also claims that she saw Lythgoe sexually assault one of her assistants in April 2015. She alleges that his behaviour was common knowledge in the TV industry.
She is also suing production companies 19 Entertainment, FremantleMedia North America, American Idol Productions and Dance Nation Productions for allegedly failing to take steps to hold Lythgoe accountable for his behaviour.
