Two months before Season 18 of So You Think You Can Dance is slated to premiere on Fox, the series’ co-creator, lead judge and executive producer Nigel Lythgoe has become 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.
Now, Lythgoe is also the subject of a probe, led by Sony Pictures TV’s 19 Entertainment, which co-produces SYTYCD with Dick Clark Productions, sources close to the situation confirm to Deadline.
The investigation, first reported by TMZ, is currently getting underway. 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 LA home.
He has denied the accusations, calling them “untrue.” 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.
Read more on deadline.com