Is Nicki Minaj leaving American Idol – making her the second judge to exit the popular talent show?
While rumors have been swirling for a couple of weeks now that all four of the current judges — Minaj, Jackson, Mariah Carey and Keith Urban — would be out before Season 13 began, so far only Randy Jackson has announced that he is definitely leaving. Now, however, Us Weekly reports that Minaj is planning to follow him out the door.
“It’s safe to say she isn’t coming back to ‘Idol’,” an unnamed source at “Idol” told Us Weekly. “She’s okay with it. She had a great time but was only going to do one season anyway.”
Minaj’s time on “American Idol” has been marked by controversy. Even before the season began, rumors of her feud with Carey surfaced. Viewers got to see a bit of that feud in footage released from the early auditions.
Throughout the live-show broadcasts, the two women have mostly kept things quiet, but everyone has noticed a fair amount of tension. “They don’t talk too much to each other,” “Idol” finalist Kree Harrison told reporters when asked about Nicki and Mariah’s occasional jabs at the judges’ table. “Whenever they do, I just think that’s awesome — whether it’s good or bad.”
There is no official word yet on whether either Carey or Urban intends to return for Season 13. Mariah Carey will soon be heading out on a world tour, which could conflict with any future judging plans. Urban, on the other hand, sounds enthusiastic about a possible return to “Idol.” When asked at the show’s finale performances about whether would want to keep the gig, Urban replied. “I would, yeah. I mean, I literally enjoy coming to work every day, and that’s a rarity.”
It remains to be seen whether or not the “American Idol” producers will let that happen.
Source: Zap2It.com
