Nigel Lythgoe fights back Paula Abdul’s lawsuit with shocking claims

American Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe is retaliating to the sexual assault claims Paula Abdul has made against him.

In legal documents obtained by TMZ on Tuesday, the former judge, 74, revealed that Abdul, 61, had sent him loving emails that she sent him over the years.

Abdul had alleged that Lythgoe had sexually assaulted her on two separate occasions in the time period of 2002 to 2015.

In the documents, Lythgoe also alleged that Abdul’s substance abuse caused her to “drool and pass out in audition rooms” while she was a judge on American Idol.

He also dubbed Abdul as a “well-documented fabulist, with a long history of telling wild stories that are untethered from reality and are primarily designed to attract attention and make Abdul appear to be the victim of dreadful misfortune.”

In 2014, an excerpt from Abdul’s email read, “Hi sweetheart – thank you for this lovely 'gift.' Please forgive me for not calling yesterday. Forever grateful to have you in my life! Love, love LOVE YOU! XO P.”

Another email said, “Thank you for the beautiful flowers -- they were exquisite! But, I have to say the kicker was the birthday card last night. I am still howling! I truly appreciate our friendship and am looking forward to launching our project.”

According to Lythgoe, the emails “'show how Abdul really felt about Lythgoe during and after the time she now alleges abuse occurred.”

He also questioned Abdul’s credibility as she claimed she was involved in a plane crash in 1992, which the legal documents insist have “no records whatsoever.”

Abdul is yet to counter the claims put forward by Lythgoe.