Paula Abdul files assault lawsuit against ‘American Idol’ exec Nigel Lythgoe

Paula Abdul has filed a lawsuit against the producer of America Idol, Nigel Lythgoe over alleged sexual assault on Friday.

According to Variety, Paula alleged in the lawsuit that Nigel sexually assaulted her in an elevator during an early season of American Idol.

In the suit, the Rush Rush singer claimed that Nigel pushed her against a wall while touching her inappropriately, and kissed her forcefully when she tried to push him away, and she then ran to her room as soon as the door opened.

After some years, when Paula was a judge on So You Think You Can Dance, the High Strung producer invited her to dinner at his home, to which she agreed,  expecting a professional meeting.

However, Nigel allegedly forced himself on top of Paula while she was sitting on his couch where he tried to kiss her, and mentioned they could be a strong "power couple."

The suit also accused Nigel of verbal harassment and bullying, gender discrimination in pay, and editing the show to make Paula look bad.

It also claimed that Paula witnessed the 74-year-old producer sexually assault one of her assistants in 2015.

The lawsuit stated, "For years, Abdul has remained silent about the sexual assaults and harassment she experienced on account of Lythgoe due to fear of speaking out against one of the most well-known producers of television competition shows who could easily break her career as a television personality."

"And of being ostracized and blackballed by an industry that had a pattern of protecting powerful men and silencing survivors of sexual assault and harassment,” the lawsuit further noted.