Paula Abdul has filed a lawsuit against Nigel Lythgoe, accusing him of sexual assault. Abdul alleges that Lythgoe assaulted her twice, the first incident occurred in the early 2000s in a hotel lift during her time as an American Idol judge, and the second assault happened at Lythgoe's home in 2014. She feared job loss and being ostracized by the industry, which led her to stay silent about the assaults. Lythgoe has not yet responded to the allegations, but a friend stated that he will 'vigorously defend' himself.