Singer Paula Abdul has cancelled her Straight Up! To Canada Tour dates.
On Wednesday evening, Abdul, 62, announced the cancellation of her Canadian shows as well as two American concert dates.
In a statement shared to social media, Abdul said she was forced to cancel the tour due to a recent injury that will require her to undergo a minor procedure. She did not provide specifics about the injury or her medical treatment.
“It’s with an incredibly heavy heart that I need to share with you an update regarding some injuries I’ve recently sustained,” Abdul wrote. “In an effort to keep going, I’ve received targeted injections that will allow me temporary relief, but the demands of an entire tour is a different story.”
Abdul said her doctors advised her to call off the tour because a necessary medical procedure will require six to eight weeks of recovery.
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Thank you for your love, your patience, and your understanding during this time.
The Straight Up! To Canada Tour was scheduled to begin in Victoria on Sept. 25. Abdul was slated to perform in 21 Canadian cities — including Edmonton, Regina, Ottawa and Saint John — before ending the run in Sydney, N.S., on Oct. 26.
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Adbul’s concerts in North Dakota and Alaska have also been cancelled.
“I want to extend my deepest apologies to all my amazing fans in Canada and the US, you mean the world to me and this truly breaks my heart,” Abdul wrote in her cancellation notice. “I’ve been looking forward to the energy, love, and connection we always share when we’re together.”
The singer promised to return “stronger and better, dancing my heart out and performing for all of you very soon.”
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Ticketholders can receive a refund from the point of purchase, she said.
Paula Abdul talks upcoming tour & reveals she’s applying for her Canadian citizenship
Nigel Lythgoe, who was days ago sued for sexual assault by singer Paula Abdul, has now been accused of sexually assaulting two additional women.
Lythgoe, a TV and film producer, was hit with a second lawsuit filed in Los Angeles on Tuesday, according to numerous outlets that obtained and released the legal complaint. The lawsuit was filed by two former contestants of the all-female reality competition show All American Girl, which Lythgoe produced.
The 74-year-old has been sued for negligence, sexual assault/battery, sexual harassment, gender violence, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. His accusers have not been publicly named, though the lawsuit also lists an unnamed production company as a defendant alongside Lythgoe.
The two women, who are identified only as “Jane Doe K.G.” and “Jane Doe K.L.,” said Lythgoe victimized them both while they were contestants on All American Girl. Together, the women alleged Lythgoe forcibly kissed them and groped them on set.
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Lythgoe is not named outright in the lawsuit and is referred to only as “John Roe N.L.” TMZ was first to identify Lythgoe as John Roe, with numerous other outlets following suit.
He has not responded publicly to the new allegations against him. He has already denied assaulting Abdul.
In the latest lawsuit, the Jane Does claimed Lythgoe “walked around the set and dressing rooms and openly swatted and groped Plaintiffs’ and other contestants’ buttocks.” The women claimed Lythgoe’s behaviour was “openly accepted” and was never condemned.
The accusers also detailed a cast and crew wrap party hosted by the unnamed production company. The lawsuit alleged that while at the party, Lythgoe took an “unusual interest” in Jane Doe K.N. and offered to drive her privately to the studio, where the partygoers were set to reconvene. Jane Doe K.L. said she chose to drive in the same car as Lythgoe and the other woman “to ensure her colleague was not left alone.”
In the car, Lythgoe allegedly made unwanted “sexual advances” toward both women. He reportedly lifted his sweater over the head of Jane Doe K.G., held her close and attempted to kiss her. She rejected the kiss and “scrambled to release herself from his grip.”
Lythgoe opted to bring the women to his personal residence instead of the studio, the lawsuit reads. There, he allegedly cornered Jane Doe K.L. against a grand piano and “forced his mouth and tongue onto her.” Only when Jane Doe K.G. protested the behaviour did Lythgoe cease.
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Lythgoe’s accusers are seeking a jury trial and a wide variety of damages. The women said they experienced emotional distress, embarrassment and loss of self-esteem as a result of Lythgoe’s abuse. The Jane Does said they “will continue to incur expenses for medical and psychological treatment, counseling and/or therapy.”
According to Deadline, the lawsuit may not be successful. The suit was filed as part of California’s Sexual Abuse and Cover Up Accountability Act, which allowed victims of older sexual assaults to file claims against their abusers in cases beyond the statute of limitations. The deadline to file was Dec. 31, 2023. The lawsuit was filed on Jan. 2, 2024.
As is, the lawsuit also includes a presumed typo regarding the birth year of Jane Doe K.G. The legal filing claims she was born in 1997, though this means she would have been six years old at the time of the alleged assault by Lythgoe.
All American Girl, which saw contestants battle it out in a talent show and obstacle course, aired on ABC in 2003 and lasted only one season.
Paula Abdul’s allegations
Grammy-winning singer Paula Abdul filed a lawsuit against Lythgoe late last week, claiming he sexually assaulted her while she worked on American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance. Lythgoe formerly produced both reality TV shows.
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Abdul, 49, said Lythgoe sexually assaulted her on two separate occasions.
‘American Idol’ star Paula Abdul sues producer Nigel Lythgoe for sexual assault
In the first instance, Abdul said Lythgoe sexually assaulted her while filming early seasons of Idol. She alleged Lythgoe tried to kiss her and grabbed her breasts and genitals while in an elevator.
The Straight Up singer said she did not take action against Lythgoe over a “fear that Lythgoe would have her fired from American Idol.”
She further claimed in the lawsuit that she experienced gender discrimination and was unfairly compensated in comparison to her male judge counterparts. She said her time on Idol was marred by being “the target of constant taunts, bullying, humiliation and harassment.”
Abdul was an Idol judge alongside Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson from 2002 to 2009.
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The singer said Lythgoe later sexually assaulted her again in 2015 while they were both filming So You Think You Can Dance.
Abdul said she was called to Lythgoe’s home as part of what she thought was a “professional invitation.” The suit claims Lythgoe “forced himself on top of Abdul while she was seated on his couch and attempted to kiss her while proclaiming that the two would make an excellent power couple.”
In her lawsuit, Abdul said she verbally denied Lythgoe’s advances and left his home.
Abdul additionally accused Lythgoe of sexually assaulting her assistant.
The lawsuit from Abdul was also filed under California’s Sexual Abuse and Cover Up Accountability Act, and was submitted prior to the Dec. 31, 2023 deadline.
“To say that I am shocked and saddened by the allegations made against me by Paula Abdul is a wild understatement,” Lythgoe said. “For more than two decades, Paula and I have interacted as dear — and entirely platonic — friends and colleagues.”
“I want to be clear: not only are they false, they are deeply offensive to me and to everything I stand for,” Lythgoe continued. “While Paula’s history of erratic behaviour is well-known, 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.”
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If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse or is involved in an abusive situation, please visit the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime for help. They are also reachable toll-free at 1-877-232-2610.
Abdul rose to stardom in the late 80s and built a second career as a judge of reality show competitions in the early 2000s. In the suit, she alleges that during one of the early seasons of “American Idol,” Lythgoe sexually assaulted her in an elevator.
She alleges that he shoved her against a wall, groped her breasts and genitals, and shoved his tongue down her throat. According to the suit, she tried to push him away, and as soon as the hotel door opened, she ran to her room.
Years later, Abdul was a judge on “So You Think You Can Dance.” Lythgoe invited her to his home for dinner, and she accepted, thinking it would be a professional encounter. However, according to the suit, Lythgoe forced himself on top of her while she was sitting on his couch, attempted to kiss her, and said they would make a great “power couple.”
Again, she pushed him away and fled his home, the lawsuit states.
The suit also accuses Lythgoe of verbal harassment and bullying, and alleges that Abdul was discriminated against, and was paid less than male judges on “American Idol.” The suit further alleges that the show would be edited in a misleading way to make her appear inept.
Additionally, Abdul alleges that she witnessed Lythgoe sexually assault one of her assistants in April 2015, pressing up against the assistant and groping her without consent.
“For years, Abdul has remained silent about the sexual assaults and harassment she experienced on account of Lythgoe due to fear of speaking out against one of the most well-known producers of television competition shows who could easily break her career as a television personality and of being ostracized and blackballed by an industry that had a pattern of protecting powerful men and silencing survivors of sexual assault and harassment,” the lawsuit states.
The suit alleges that Lythgoe’s behavior was common knowledge, and cites a MADtv parody in which Lythgoe was seen harassing contestants.
According to the suit, Lythgoe called Abdul once and taunted her, saying it had been “seven years and the statute of limitations had run.”
Abdul signed non-disclosure agreements as part of her employment on both reality shows, which prevented her from disclosing confidential or derogatory information.
Abdul filed the suit under California’s Sexual Abuse and Cover-Up Accountability Act, which created a one-year window to file certain sexual abuse lawsuits that would otherwise be outside the statute of limitations. The deadline to file is Dec. 31.
Abdul also sued 19 Entertainment, FremantleMedia North America, American Idol Productions, and Dance Nation Productions. The suit alleges the companies failed to take steps to discipline Lythgoe and protected him from accountability.
In the words of Paula Abdul and MC Skat Kat, opposites attract. Perhaps that kernel of wisdom can explain the recent announcement that Final Fantasy XIV—an epic, fantasy MMORPG—is crossing over with Fall Guys—a colorful, small-scale battle royale—in a future update.
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Final Fantasy XIV was a giant disaster when it first launched in 2010. However, following a complete shutdown of the original version in 2012, FFXIV was reworked into a better game known as Realm Reborn in August 2013, which was received much better by fans and critics. Since then, the game has received numerous updates and expansions, becoming one of the most popular MMOs in the world. And in the near future, the world ofFFXIV will includeFall Guys content, for some odd reason.
The odd news was announced in Las Vegas by FFXIV producer and director Naoki Yoshida—known online as Yoshi P—during the first day of Square Enix’s Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest 2023 on July 28. While the team didn’t release any videos or trailers of the Fall Guys content coming to the game, some screenshots were shared that show obstacle courses familiar to anyone who has played Epic’s popular game show-like battle royale.
Screenshot: Square Enix / Kotaku
“These warriors of light are having a bit of a different time than usual,” joked Yoshida on stage during the keynote.
According to the producer and director, the new content will support up to 24 players at once and is currently in development. This new Fall Guys-inspired content won’t be added randomly to missions or in the open world, but will instead be added to the preexisting Golden Saucer, an in-game amusement park that contains mini-games for players to enjoy.
Yoshida further added that since it was given this opportunity the developer really tried its best to make the most of it. That’s evident in the screenshots, which contain obstacles and platforms that look very accurate to what you would see in Fall Guys. Even HUD elements from the battle royale seem to be included in FFXIV’s version.
Screenshot: Square Enix / Kotaku
As for when you’ll be able to play this, Yoshida promised the new mini-games would be included as part of the 6.5 updates sometime in September.
But if you really can’t wait for that and you need some Fall Guys X Final Fantasy content in your life sooner than later, I’ve got some good news for your weirdly specific desire. On August 23, a Final Fantasy-themed battle pass will launch in Fall Guys and will run for six weeks. The update will include costumes based on iconic Final Fantasy characters and creatures, like Chocobos.
Hudson first met Abdul in 2004, when the actor and singer was a contestant on the third season of “American Idol.” Abdul was part of the show’s original trio of judges, which also included music executive Simon Cowell and record producer Randy Jackson. Though Hudson received accolades from fans and even fellow contestants, she placed seventh in the competition series.
In her talk show appearance, Abdul acknowledged that “the whole world was pissed” when Hudson was eliminated from “American Idol.” But she now believes it was a good thing that the future star didn’t emerge from the show a winner.
“People still talk to me about ‘God, that night that Jennifer Hudson was eliminated,’” Abdul said, before recalling a conversation she’d had with Hudson after she was voted off. “I said to you: ‘You know, I have the feeling that some amazing things are going to happen to you. People that need to win win, and the people that don’t need to win end up winning big time.’ And you did.”
Watch Abdul’s appearance on “The Jennifer Hudson Show” below.
It’s hard to argue with Abdul’s assessment. In 2006, Hudson starred as Effie White in the movie musical “Dreamgirls,” for which she won an Academy Award. And last year, she joined the esteemed ranks of EGOT winners when Broadway’s “A Strange Loop,” which she co-produced, received the Tony Award for Best New Musical.
Along the way, Hudson recorded three studio albums and racked up an impressive array of stage and screen credits, which include her debut appearance on Broadway in “The Color Purple” and portraying Aretha Franklin in the 2021 biopic “Respect.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Abdul recalled how a psychic predicted her “American Idol” stint about three years before the series premiered and became a phenomenon. Previously, Abdul had enjoyed global success as a pop star, racking up ’80s and ’90s hits like “Straight Up” and “Opposites Attract.”
Even though her Grammy-winning music career had cooled, she was skeptical about the prospect of a television stint when she talked to the psychic.
“My only reference had been ‘Star Search’ from decades ago, and I’m like: ‘I’m not doing that,’” Abdul explained. “She goes: ‘Honey, you willed it to happen. It’s happening, you’re doing it.’”
She went on to note, “She said it was going to the biggest show, break records on television, and I paid no attention to it. I really didn’t. And it was almost three years to the date when I was into Fox.”
NEW YORK — Throngs of spectators lined the streets of New York on Thursday as colorful, high-flying balloons helped usher in the holiday season during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
The annual tradition, which dates back nearly a century, packed streets as a procession of giant inflatables and floats streamed for more than 40 blocks from Central Park to Herald Square.
Children balanced atop metal barricades and hung from scaffolding to watch the balloons amid mostly sunny skies and a slight breeze.
“Blue, Blue. There’s Blue,” yelled Divyam Kumar, 6, as his father helped balance him and his 4-year-old brother Aanu Aryan on a metal rail.
The youngster was referring to the star of the animated show “Blue’s Clues” — not to be confused with the international cartoon sensation Bluey, an Australian cattle pup making her parade debut.
Bluey’s balloon towered as tall as a four-story building and stretched as wide as seven taxi cabs.
Stuart, the one-eyed Minion, was also there to thrill the crowd.
But it was Snoopy that especially caught the eye of Brenner Chenenko, 8, even more so than the more contemporary pups.
“It’s one of the classics,” said the youngster from Rochester, New York, who lined the parade route with his father Nate and grandfather John Wopperer.
It was the first time the father and son had seen the parade in person. Wopperer last saw a parade live three years ago, before the pandemic sidelined the event for a year.
Snoopy, dressed as an astronaut, was followed by another old-time favorite, Papa Smurf.
This year’s parade featured 16 giant balloons, 28 floats, 40 novelty and heritage inflatables, 12 marching bands, 10 performance groups, 700 clowns and one Santa Claus.
The procession of characters were joined by singer Paula Abdul, in her first parade appearance; indie pop band Fitz and the Tantrums; boy band Big Time Rush; “Blue’s Clues & You!” host Josh Dela Cruz; singer Gloria Estefan; gospel singer Kirk Franklin; actor Mario Lopez; reggae star Ziggy Marley; and Miss America 2022 Emma Broyles.
Singers Joss Stone, Jordin Sparks and Betty Who were also part of the festivities, as were the stars of Peacock’s “Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin” — Adam Devine, Sarah Hyland and Flula Borg. Jimmy Fallon & The Roots were on a float celebrating Central Park.
President Biden and Jill Biden called into the parade, as he did last year. Biden thanked firefighters, police officers and first responders, saying, “They never take a break.”
They thanked the troops and Biden said he would be reaching out to speak to some today.
Asked about their plans for the day in Nantucket, Massachusetts, the Bidens said it would involve family, and some time spent locally, thanking first responders.
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Associated Press reporter Deepti Hajela contributed to this story.
