Abdul won’t return for Season 9 of ’Idol’
By EDNA GUNDERSEN
USA Today
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Paula Abdul has tweeted ta-ta to "American Idol," ending weeks of negotiations and speculation.
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“With sadness in my heart, I’ve decided not to return to #IDOL,” she wrote on Twitter late Tuesday. “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.”
In a statement, Fox and the show’s producers said Abdul was “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.”
They said she was a “tremendous talent” and wished her the best.
Her move follows news that songwriter Kara DioGuardi, who just completed her first season as a judge on the top-rated Fox talent show, would return for the ninth season. After eight seasons with the series, Abdul had been in talks with Fox for a raise and expressed hope that she’d return. She told fans on Twitter last week, “I hope you can understand that I can only return to ‘Idol’ if the deal is fair.”
Fellow judges Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson already are under contract for the upcoming season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.