Nigel Lythgoe Responds To Sexual Assault Lawsuit From Paula Abdul

Nigel Lythgoe, the former “American Idol” and “So You Think You Can Dance” producer accused of sexually assaulting Paula Abdul, has responded in new court documents that include purported emails and messages between him and the former “Idol” judge.

The 22-page response was filed Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, just hours before another woman brought a fourth sexual assault allegation against Lythgoe. The latest suit makes claims similar to Abdul’s, which Lythgoe described as “pure fiction.”

“How do we know?” Lythgoe wrote in the response, per “Entertainment Tonight.” “Abdul’s own words: her private emails and public statements on social media, made time and time again during and after the time she now alleges the abuse occurred, wherein Abdul expressed how she really felt about Lythgoe, her friend and colleague.”

The lengthy response did not include screenshots, or the actual emails themselves. Rather, it included text excerpts of the purported exchanges, in which Abdul allegedly described Lythgoe as a supportive friend and shared personal updates with him.

“Hi sweetheart ― thank you for this lovely ‘gift,’” she allegedly wrote in one email. “It’s perfect and so true to what we’ve been discussing lately. Please forgive me for not calling yesterday… Haven’t slept since I last saw you… Forever grateful to have you in my life!”

Abdul did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.

The Grammy winner claimed in a December lawsuit that Lythgoe sexually assaulted her — once during the early seasons of “Idol” between 2000 and 2009 and again during Abdul’s tenure on “Dance” between 2013 and 2016 — and that he “verbally insulted and belittled her.”

Lythgoe, who denied those allegations in a statement