Nigel Lythgoe is resigning from his role as a judge on So You Think You Can Dance following two sexual assault lawsuits filed against him.
As the show’s executive producer, Lythgoe faces allegations of groping and forcibly kissing Paula Abdul approximately two decades ago in an elevator. A second lawsuit involves accusations from two contestants of All American Girl who claim that he attempted to forcibly kiss them after a wrap party in 2003.
“I have informed the producers of So You Think You Can Dance of my decision to step back from participating in this year’s series,” Lythgoe said in a statement to Variety. “I did so with a heavy heart but entirely voluntarily because this great program has always been about dance and dancers, and that’s where its focus needs to remain. In the meantime, I am dedicating myself to clearing my name and restoring my reputation.”
19 Entertainment, Dick Clark Productions, and Fox have said, via a statement to Deadline, that the upcoming season of So You Think You Can Dance will proceed, “although without Nigel Lythgoe to ensure the show remains committed to the contestants, who have worked incredibly hard for the opportunity to compete on our stage. No decision has been made as to a replacement judge for this season,” still set to premiere on Monday, March 4.
The decision also follows recent revelations that Lythgoe is under investigation by Sony Pictures Television’s 19 Entertainment, a co-producer of So You Think You Can Dance, along with Dick Clark Productions.
As a producer of So You Think You Can Dance, 19 Entertainment is noted as a defendant in Abdul’s lawsuit, which details an alleged 2015 incident at Lythgoe’s Los Angeles residence during Season 12 of the dance competition. Lythgoe has vehemently denied these accusations, dismissing them as “untrue.”
On December 29, Abdul filed a lawsuit against Lythgoe, who served as an executive producer on American Idol, citing multiple alleged attacks. The first incident is said to have occurred “during one of American Idol‘s initial seasons” in a hotel elevator, where Lythgoe is accused of aggressive behavior. The second incident, in 2015 during Season 12 of So You Think You Can Dance at Lythgoe’s LA home, allegedly involved Lythgoe attempting to force himself on Abdul, claiming they would make an excellent “power couple.”
The second lawsuit against Lythgoe pertains to alleged sexual assault and harassment during the production of the short-lived ABC reality series All American Girl. This complaint involves two contestants from the show who claim that, after the finale party, Lythgoe drove them to a Los Angeles home instead of the promised studio, where the alleged incident occurred.
TV Insider has reached out to Fox for a statement.
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