Abdul is suing under a California law that allows people making sexual assault accusations to file claims outside the statute of limitations for a limited period of time.

In her lawsuit, Abdul, 61, also accused Lythgoe, 74, of verbal harassment, saying that he called her at one point and told her that they should celebrate because “it had been ‘seven years and the statute of limitations had run’.”

Abdul also brought the lawsuit against production companies behind American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance, accusing them of negligence. Representatives for the shows and the production companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

When Abdul left American Idol in 2009, there was speculation that her exit was the result of disagreements about pay disparities with the show’s male faces.

In her lawsuit, Abdul says that as a judge on American Idol, she was “discriminated against in terms of compensation and benefits”. She describes her relationship with the show’s producers and other judges as “strained from the start,” saying that she was the target of “constant taunts” from Lythgoe and others involved in the show and that selective editing made her appear “inept”.

Lythgoe was a largely behind-the-scenes figure with American Idol, leaving as an executive producer of the show about a decade ago, but he has been centre stage on So You Think You Can Dance, turning himself into a performing arts impresario and advocate for dance education. He is scheduled to return as a judge in the spring.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

National Sexual Assault, Family & Domestic Violence Counselling Line: 1800 737 732. Crisis support can be found at Lifeline (13 11 14), the Suicide Call Back Service (1300 659 467) and beyondblue (1300 22 4636).