Nigel Lythgoe is ‘devastated’ after fellow American Idol judge Paula Abdul claims he ‘sexually assaulted her in a hotel lift’ and ‘forced himself on top of her and attempted to kiss her’ while meeting at his house

TV mogul Nigel Lythgoe was left 'devastated' last night after being hit with a sexual assault lawsuit from fellow American Idol judge Paula Abdul.

Brit Lythgoe, 74, nicknamed 'Nasty Nigel' for his criticism of his shows Pop Idol and American Idol, has been accused of 'multiple attacks' by two-time Grammy award-winning singer Ms Abdul, 61.

In papers filed Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court, she claims Lythgoe “insulted and belittled” her and called her a “has-been” when he hired her for American Idol in 2002.

She claims Lythgoe, who is reportedly worth £120million, 'sexually assaulted her in a hotel lift' and during a meeting at his home in 2014 'forced himself on top of her and tried to kiss her'.

Father-of-two Lythgoe declined to comment last night.

Brit Lythgoe, 74, nicknamed 'Nasty Nigel' for his criticism of his shows Pop Idol and American Idol, is accused of 'multiple attacks' by two-time Grammy award-winning singer Ms Abdul, 61

But a good friend said: 'This came out of the blue. Nigel is devastated. This lawsuit does not describe the Nigel we have worked with for decades. He is flirty, but an ultimate professional.

'There are a lot of men in Hollywood who have a reputation for being leches, but Nigel is not one of them. He will defend himself vigorously.”

Ms Abdul is seeking damages, likely to run into millions of pounds, for sexual assault and battery, sexual harassment, gender violence and negligence.

She claims the first attack happened in the early 2000s, when she and Lythgoe were on American Idol.

She was a judge between 2002 and 2009. When she entered a hotel elevator, he allegedly “pushed her against the wall, then grabbed her genitals and breasts and shoved his tongue down her throat.”

She says she “ran in tears” but refused to report the incident to police “for fear that Lythgoe would have her fired from American Idol.”

The second alleged attack took place at Lythgoe's £22million Hollywood home in 2014 when they were judges on So You Think You Can Dance, the popular US show presented by Britain's Cat Deeley.

Court papers allege Lythgoe “forced himself on top of her as she sat on his couch and tried to kiss her while proclaiming that the two would make an excellent power couple.”

She also claims to have seen another alleged attack on one of her assistants next year, using only the name 'April'.

'Lythgoe approached Abdul and April from behind, pressed himself against April and began groping her. April did not consent to this,” the lawsuit alleges.

Abdul adds that she was paid less than male judges on American Idol and faced “constant taunts, bullying, humiliation and intimidation.”

It is alleged that Lythgoe 'taunted' her by calling seven years after the first alleged attack and saying they should celebrate 'because it's been seven years and the statute of limitations has passed'.

Along with Simon Cowell and Simon Fuller, Lythgoe is one of Britain's most successful exports to Hollywood.

He owns a £20 million vineyard in California, a villa in Barbados and a sprawling mansion in the Hollywood Hills. In 2015 he received an OBE.

He has two children with ex-wife Bonnie and has dated Priscilla Presley and Raquel Welch. He is now dating actress Lisa LoCicero, 53.

A close friend said: 'This lawsuit is bull****. Nigel can be flirtatious, but he never crosses the line. He has always been surrounded by beautiful women, but he has mostly been in committed relationships.

Abdul, pictured with fellow American Idol judges Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell, is seeking damages for assault and battery, sexual harassment, gender violence and negligence against Lythgoe (above left)

'He has remained friends with his exes, like Priscilla. I've never seen him do anything other than respect women. He's an old-fashioned British gentleman.'

Another employee said: 'He always considered Paula a friend but he didn't like her. He saved her career on American Idol, so it is shocking and painful for him to repay him by filing this frivolous and hurtful lawsuit.”

The claim was filed under California's Sexual Abuse and Cover Up Accountability Act, which allows alleged victims of sexual assault to file lawsuits even if the statute of limitations has expired.

She is seeking damages from production companies 19 Entertainment, Freemantle Media North America, American Idol Productions and Dance Nation Productions.

Representatives for Ms Abdul and the production companies have been contacted for comment.