CNN
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“So You Assume You Can Dance” choose and producer Nigel Lythgoe says he takes a while away from the present one week after he was accused of sexual assault and harassment by musician Paula Abdul.
Lythgoe mentioned in an announcement to CNN from his consultant on Friday that his determination was made “with a heavy coronary heart however fully voluntarily as a result of this nice program has at all times been about dance and dancers, and that’s the place its focus wants to stay.”
“Within the meantime, I’m dedicating myself to clearing my identify and restoring my status,” his assertion added.
Additionally on Friday, 19 Leisure, Dick Clark Productions, and FOX – the manufacturing corporations and community behind “Dance” – launched a joint assertion to CNN confirming the upcoming season of the fact competitors collection, “though with out Nigel Lythgoe.”
“No determination has been made as to a alternative choose for this season,” the assertion added.
Final week, Grammy winner Abdul, who’s a former choose on “American Idol” and “So You Assume You Can Dance” – each of which rely Lythgoe as an govt producer – filed a go well with in opposition to Lythgoe, accusing him of sexual assault and harassment together with gender violence and negligence.
The grievance, which was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Courtroom and obtained by CNN, outlined two separate incidents that Abdul alleges occurred within the early 2000s and in 2015, respectively.
Lythgoe referred to as allegations “false” and “deeply offensive” in a statement to TMZ on the time.
“To say that I’m shocked and saddened by the allegations made in opposition to me by Paula Abdul is a wild understatement,” Lythgoe mentioned.
Abdul is suing Lythgoe and names 19 Leisure Inc., FremantleMedia North America Inc., American Idol Productions Inc. and Dance Nation Productions Inc. as co-defendents, accusing them of gender violence, sexual harassment and negligence and of getting “ratified and/or approved Lythgoe’s sexual assault and battery of Abdul” by failing to supervise Lythgoe.
She is looking for unspecified punitive damages.
Abdul’s lawsuit was filed underneath California’s Sexual Abuse and Cover Up Accountability Act, which permits for claims of “damages suffered on account of a sexual assault” that occurred exterior the statute of limitations to be filed for a time frame.
Abdul served as a choose on “American Idol” for 9 seasons starting in its first season and as a choose on “So You Assume You Can Dance” for 2 seasons.
“So You Assume You Can Dance” has aired 17 seasons on FOX since 2005. Lythgoe is co-creator of the franchise and has served as an govt producer on each the US and UK variations. He served as a choose for 16 seasons.
CNN’s Alli Rosenbloom and Dan Heching contributed to this report.