'American Idol' star Paula Abdul sues producer Nigel Lythgoe for sexual assault

FILE PHOTO: Paula Abdul arrives for the premiere of the film Prey, in Los Angeles, California, U.S. August 2, 2022. REUTERS/David Swanson/File Photo

(Reuters) - U.S. singer, dancer and "American Idol" star Paula Abdul filed a lawsuit accusing British television executive Nigel Lythgoe of sexually assaulting her when they worked together on two popular talent shows, according to court documents.

Abdul, who rose to fame as a chart-topping singer in the late 1980s, alleged in a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Friday that Lythgoe sexually assaulted her in an elevator during the early seasons of TV singing competition series "American Idol."