Nigel Lythgoe, long-time judge for Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance,” is stepping down after two lawsuits were filed accusing him of sexual assault.
Lythgoe has been taping the 18th season of the long-running reality show at Pullman Yards in Atlanta. “So You Think You Can Dance” shot its first 17 seasons in Los Angeles. This is the first time the show has been produced in Georgia.
Paula Abdul, in a lawsuit filed last month, accused Lythgoe of groping and forcibly kissing her in an elevator about 20 years ago when he was an executive producer of “American Idol.” Then two contestants from reality show “All American Girl” filed a second lawsuit earlier this week accusing him of forcibly trying to kiss them after a wrap party more than 20 years.
“I have informed the producers of ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ of my decision to step back from participating in this year’s series,” Lythgoe said in a statement to Variety magazine. “I did so with a heavy heart but entirely voluntarily because this great program has always been about dance and dancers, and that’s where its focus needs to remain. In the meantime, I am dedicating myself to clearing my name and restoring my reputation.”
“So You Think You Can Dance” will be back March 4, 2024 with an all-new documentary style format and new judges Alison Holker and Maksim Chmerkovskiy. Holker, a former contestant on the series, was married to the late Stephen “Twitch” Boss, who was a popular contestant and judge on the series. Chmerkovskiy was a long-time pro dancer on the show.
The show will not have a live element this season. Instead, the audience will select the winner.
Lythgoe helped conceive the show back in 2005 and has been a judge for a bulk of its run.
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