Nigel Lythgoe joked he wanted to be ‘the next person to abuse’ Paula Abdul in resurfaced interview… after she accused American Idol producer of sexual assault

Nigel Lythgoe, the American Idol producer accused of sexual assault by Paula Abdul, joked in a resurfaced interview that he wanted to be “the next person to abuse her.”

In 2015, the couple spoke to The everyday beast before the 12th season premiere of So You Think You Can Dance. Lythgoe worked with Abdul, 61, on the show for two seasons as an executive producer and judge.

The 74-year-old TV producer recalled Abdul being “so abused and abused” by American Idol judge Simon Cowell during her days on the singing competition. Lythgoe had also served as a producer on American Idol, while Cowell and Abdul were judges.

“We've known each other for so long now,” Lythgoe said at the time. “To be honest, I was an admirer of Paula in Britain before I came to the United States. To be able to work with her on 'Idol' all those years and see how she was abused by Simon.'

“So abused and mistreated,” he continued. “I wanted to be the next to abuse her.”

During the conversation, Abdul was described as “delightful” in the “banter” with Lythgoe.

The interview comes as Lythgoe broke his silence on the charges filed against Abdul on Friday.

“To say that I am shocked and saddened by the allegations made against me by Paula Abdul is a wild understatement,” he said. TMZ. 'For more than twenty years, Paula and I have worked together as dear – and completely platonic – friends and colleagues.'

“Yesterday, however, I learned of these allegations in the press out of the blue and I want to be clear: not only are they false, they are deeply offensive to me and everything I stand for.”

In papers filed Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court, Abdul 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.

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.

In 2015, the couple was speaking to The Daily Beast before the 12th season premiere of So You Think You Can Dance when Lythgoe made the comment; seen in 2013

Lythgoe, nicknamed 'Nasty Nigel' for his criticism of his shows Pop Idol and American Idol, is accused of 'multiple assaults' by double Grammy award-winning singer Paula

'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.”

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)

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.

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.