Nicki Minaj is close to being American Idol’s newest judge, according to various reports. According to a person close to Minaj, the deal isn’t completed, but the rapper has agreed to do the show.
“I’m not sure the deal is completely done yet, but yes, she is definitely doing it,” the source told Us Weekly. “A few more slight things to sign off on but it is happening.”
Fox has not commented on the matter. Minaj would be joining Mariah Carey, who Fox already announced as a new edition to the show—though Carey is reportedly not at all pleased about the younger and hipper Minaj joining her.
Another music star has reportedly signed on to judge American Idol. According to a report by the Examiner, country music star Keith Urban has inked a deal to be a judge. Urban, along with Brad Paisley, were both being considered for the spot but it is rumored that Paisley asked for $8 million while they were able to get Urban for $3 or $4 million. Urban, 44, who was born in New Zealand and first became famous in Australia, is married to superstar Australian actress Nicole Kidman and they have two young children, the second of which was born using a surrogate. Urban has had several famous bouts with cocaine addiction, the most recent in 2006.
Nick Jonas, one third of the Jonas Brothers, confirmed that he was considering being an Idol judge last week and sat down with the Huffington Post to talk about Idol. “[There’s been] lots of speculation…it’s something I would like to do if it was right, but it’s got to be right on both ends, I would be the youngest [judge], but I’ve also been a professional musician for about eight years of my life,” he said. “That’s a major question: Would you be okay to criticize? If I can help someone be better, that’s the ultimate goal, not putting them down or making them feel irrelevant. As much as we are going to get along, there still is a bit of tough love there, which is important.”
Although there has been a lot of buzz surrounding the judges’ seats on Idol, one star has reportedly turned down a chance to do Idol and the hefty paycheck that comes with it. According to TMZ, singer Katy Perry rejected the chance to be a judge on American Idol even though she was offered $18 to $20 million to do the show. According to the report, her busy schedule made it impossible for her to do it, and she didn’t think it was a good move for her career. “People have reached out to me about the possibility of being involved, and it’s not right for me yet,” the “Teenage Dream” singer told the Hollywood Reporter.
