{"id":66636,"date":"2024-01-06T00:11:26","date_gmt":"2024-01-06T00:11:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2024\/01\/06\/nigel-lythgoe-exits-sytycd-amid-sexual-assault-lawsuits\/"},"modified":"2024-01-06T00:11:26","modified_gmt":"2024-01-06T00:11:26","slug":"nigel-lythgoe-exits-sytycd-amid-sexual-assault-lawsuits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2024\/01\/06\/nigel-lythgoe-exits-sytycd-amid-sexual-assault-lawsuits\/","title":{"rendered":"Nigel Lythgoe Exits ‘SYTYCD’ Amid Sexual Assault Lawsuits"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Phillip Faraone\/Getty Images for American Ballet Theatre<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Nigel Lythgoe<\/strong><\/a> is officially exiting his role as a judge on So You Think You Can Dance<\/em><\/a> in the wake of his multiple sexual assault lawsuits.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have informed the producers of So You Think You Can Dance<\/em> of my decision to step back from participating in this year\u2019s series,\u201d Lythgoe, 74, announced in a statement to Variety<\/em><\/a> on Friday, January 5. \u201cI did so with a heavy heart but entirely voluntarily because this great program has always been about dance and dancers, and that\u2019s where its focus needs to remain. In the meantime, I am dedicating myself to clearing my name and restoring my reputation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lythgoe\u2019s announcement comes two months before the season 18 premiere of SYTYCD<\/em>, which will feature Allison Holker<\/strong> and Maksim Chmerkovskiy<\/strong> as judges. Fox and Sony Pictures Television\u2019s 19 Entertainment confirmed in a separate statement to Variety<\/em> that \u201cNo decision has been made as to the replacement judge for this season.\u201d<\/p>\n

Us Weekly<\/em><\/a> confirmed late last month that Lythgoe, who served as a judge on SYTYCD<\/em> since its premiere in 2005, was accused of sexual assault in a lawsuit filed by Paula Abdul<\/strong>. In court documents obtained by Rolling Stone<\/em><\/a>, Abdul, 61, claimed that Lythgoe assaulted her multiple times over the years while working together on American Idol<\/em> and SYTYCD<\/em>.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\tRelated: <\/span>Hollywood’s Sexual Misconduct Scandals<\/span><\/a>
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\n\t\t\tWhile Hollywood may appear to be all glitz and glam on the surface, the industry has seen its fair share of\u00a0scandals\u00a0through the years. The\u00a0New York Times\u00a0and the\u00a0New Yorker first published investigative pieces in 2017 that accused disgruntled movie producer Harvey Weinstein of decades of sexual assault and harassment. Soon after, Weinstein stood trial and was [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Among her many accusations, Abdul alleged that Lythgoe \u201cverbally insulted and belittled\u201d her prior to taking her American Idol<\/em> gig and that he continued to bully her during her time on the singing competition series. She also claimed Lythgoe sexually assaulted her in a hotel elevator while traveling for American Idol<\/em> auditions, though she did not specify when the alleged incident took place.<\/p>\n

\u201cAbdul attempted to push Lythgoe away from her. When the doors to the elevator for her door opened, Abdul ran out of the elevator and to her hotel room,\u201d the pop star\u2019s court documents state. \u201cAbdul quickly called one of her representatives in tears to inform them of the assault.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lythgoe, for his part, denied Abdul\u2019s accusations<\/a>. \u201cTo say that I am shocked and saddened by the allegations made against me by Paula Abdul is a wild understatement,\u201d he said in a Saturday, December 30, 2023, statement to Us<\/em>. \u201cFor more than two decades, Paula and I have interacted as dear \u2014 and entirely platonic \u2014 friends and colleagues. Yesterday, however, out of the blue, I learned of these claims in the press and I want to be clear: not only are they false, they are deeply offensive to me and to everything I stand for.\u201d<\/p>\n

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