Abdul is leaving ‘Idol’
Paula Abdul, who has been in tense negotiations with Fox for a new deal to remain a judge on “American Idol,” wrote on Twitter on Tuesday night that she is leaving the show.
“I’ll miss nurturing all the new talent, but most of all being a part of a show that I helped from day 1 become an international phenomenon.”
Abdul’s contract expired after the last season, its eighth, ended in May. Last week, word leaked that Kara DioGuardi, who was added this year to the judging panel, would return, and Fox announced Monday that DioGuardi’s option had been picked up.
Host Ryan Seacrest recently signed a $10 million deal and Abdul, according to people close to the show, wanted a similar paycheck. She was reportedly making between $2 million and $4 million a year.
Fox and the two companies that produce “American Idol,” FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment said: “Paula Abdul has been an important part of the ‘American Idol’ family over the last eight seasons and we are saddened that she has decided not to return to the show.”
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