Abdul claims that the producer sexually assaulted her on two occasions
Nigel Lythgoe is denying Paula Abdul's allegations that he sexually assaulted her.
Earlier this week, Abdul, 61, accused Lythgoe, 74, of multiple counts of sexual assault in a lawsuit filed in the Los Angeles County Superior Court, claiming that he sexually assaulted her on two occasions when they both worked on American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance.
Now, in a statement to TMZ, Lythgoe responded to Abdul's claims, telling the outlet, "To say that I am shocked and saddened by the allegations made against me by Paula Abdul is a wild understatement. For more than two decades, Paula and I have interacted as dear, and entirely platonic, friends and colleagues."
Noting that he learned of Abdul's accusations "out of the blue" through the press, Lythgoe continued, "I want to be clear: not only are they false, they are deeply offensive to me and to everything I stand for. ... I can’t pretend to understand exactly why she would file a lawsuit that she must know is untrue. But I can promise that I will fight this appalling smear with everything I have."
A representative for Lythgoe did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.
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