Abdul, the former American Idol judge, originally accused Lythgoe of assaulting her assistant in April 2015. However, her updated complaint alleges that she was also assaulted during that same incident. Additionally, she has provided more details about other alleged incidents from the early 2000s, while both worked on American Idol, and during 2015 and 2016 when she was involved with So You Think You Can Dance.
Lythgoe's legal response questions the timing and specifics of Abdul's accusations. He argues that her previous claims were vague and suggests her new allegations seem conveniently timed. “It stretches credulity that Abdul would suddenly ‘remember’ being assaulted during the same incident as her assistant after initially not mentioning it,” Lythgoe stated in the documents.
He further challenged Abdul’s credibility by citing their professional relationship, including emails and messages where she expressed positive feelings toward him. In one email from June 2014, Abdul thanked Lythgoe for flowers and spoke about their friendship, while another message from June 2015 congratulated him on a professional success.
Lythgoe contends it is hard to believe that Abdul would remain friendly if her claims were accurate. He pointed out that she was often accompanied by security during their time on American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance, making the alleged assaults unlikely to occur without witnesses.
Lythgoe accused Abdul of launching a campaign to damage his reputation, asserting that she was exploiting the current social climate for personal gain. “Abdul’s accusations against Lythgoe are false, despicable, intolerable, and life-changing,” the document reads, criticizing her use of the legal system.
Following Lythgoe's denial, Abdul’s attorney, Melissa Eubanks, accused him of victim-shaming, claiming that he held a position of power over Abdul as a producer, while she was a talent.