Nigel Lythgoe Steps Down From ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ After Sexual Assault Accusations

Peter White

5 January 2024 at 5:35 pm·3-min read

Nigel Lythgoe is exiting So You Think You Can Dance after a number of sexual assault complaints.

Lythgoe, the co-creator, lead judge and exec producer of So You Think You Can Dance, is the subject of two sexual misconduct lawsuits, including one filed by Paula Abdul who accused him of assaulting her twice over the past 20 years.

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“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. “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.”

The move also comes a few days after it emerged that Lythgoe is the subject of an investigation by Sony Pictures Television’s 19 Entertainment, which co-produces SYTYCD with Dick Clark Productions.

19 Entertainment, Dick Clark Productions, and Fox confirmed 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, which will premiere on Fox on Monday, March 4,” per those three companies.

As SYTYCD producer, 19 Entertainment is listed as a defendant in Abdul’s suit, which alleges a 2015 incident during Season 12 of the dance competition at Lythgoe’s Los Angeles home. He has denied the accusations, calling them “untrue.”

On December 29, Abdul filed a sexual assault and gender violence lawsuit against Lythgoe, an exec producer on American Idol, over multiple alleged attacks.

The first alleged assault occurred “during one of American Idol’s initial seasons” in a hotel elevator while the show was on the road. “Lythgoe shoved Abdul against the wall, then grabbed her genitals and breasts, and began shoving his tongue down her throat,” the complaint stated.

The second assault supposedly happened over a decade later in 2015 during Season 12 of SYTYCD at Lythgoe’s L.A. home. “Toward the end of the evening, Lythgoe forced himself on top of Abdul while she was seated on his couch and attempted to kiss her while proclaiming that the two would make an excellent ‘power couple,’” the filing said.

The second lawsuit against Lythgoe is related to alleged sexual assault and harassment during the production of the short-lived ABC reality series All American Girl.

The incident in the second complaint comes from two All American Girl contestants. It allegedly took place after the show’s finale party, when Lythgoe drove the two to an L.A. home instead of a promised studio to meet up with others.

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