Ack! So much Paula Abdul news, so little time…Here’s a roundup of stuff from around the interwebs…
Andy Dehnart from Reality Blurred, “a Fremantle employee (who asked not to be identified by name for obvious reasons) told me that Paula wanted $20 million a year, confirming reports she wanted more than Ryan Seacrest’s $15 million a year. Ultimately, she wasn’t asked to return because of that demand and general fatigue about her antics.”
TMZ claims that the show made Paula two offers, and then she just went and quit by tweet. Idol peeps were taken by surprise.
The Wrap estimates “Abdul just walked away from around $11 million to $17.5 million” or, $5.5 million a year. Seacrest will take in 15 million a year in a deal that includes other projects with 19.
Ryan Seacrest said on his KIIS LA radio show this morning that Paula’s announcement wasn’t a publicity stunt, and that the news of her departure was as shocking to him as it was to her fans. List to Ryan talk about Paula here:
According to E! Online, at this morning’s NBC executive session at the Television Critics Association press tour, an NBC exec, Paul Teledgy, said, “We wouldn’t rule out anything, Paula is an exceptional piece of talent.”
Nigel Lythgoe told Yahoo Music’s Lindsey Parker, that he’d love to have Paula come on So You Think You Can Dance as a guest judge/choreographer next year.
Paula plays coy in a recent interview with Sirius/XM radio HERE.
- MTV has a timeline of Paula’s long career HERE.
- Michael Slezak of EW believes there’s still time–before tomorrow’s auditions in Denver begin–for Paula and 19 to reconsider.
- Richard Rushfield, late of the LA Times writes his first Gawker piece–Five Reasons Paula Abdul Quit American Idol. He believes the producers pushed her to the brink.
- The always hilarious Jim Cantiello describes his 7 stages of grief.
- Four possible outcomes of Paula’s departure, from Maura Johnston of Idolator.
Who could replace Paula Abdul asks PopEater. - Paula’s best and worst moments, from Newsweek.
- Paula video highlights, from Salon.
After the Jump…the Idols weigh in via twitter…
- @KrisAllen4Real: @PaulaAbdul we love you! Glad I was able to be a part of your last season on the show. You showed us so much love.
- @dannygokey: @paulaabdul Im really sad 2 see Paula Abdul not coming back 2 idol. She was the judge with the biggest heart! She really will be missed :(
- @michaelsarver1: I am sad to see Paula not coming back to idol. It will be the contestants that suffer the most. She was a loving mother to us and I can’t…
- @IdolScott: I love you @PaulaAbdul – thank you for your incredible support on my American Idol journey.
- @ChrisSligh: I love Paula. She’s the only judge we had any real contact with outside of what you see on tv. She actually cared about us.
- @RyanSeacrest: “about to go to sleep when I started seeing my blackberry blow up. I have read what u have read and I am shocked and saddened about paula…Idol and the cast have grown with each other over the last 8 seasons..I can’t imagine the panel without puala. She’s a star @ a great friend…Spoke to randy..hope to speak with paula privately overnight.
- @CarlySmithson: “@PaulaAbdul I cant believe it !! We love you so much .You will be so missed .You were the one person that lifted our spirit on hard nights”
- @realbrookewhite: just heard the news @PaulaAbdul thank you for the genuine care and concern you gave to us contestants, your kind spirit will be missed
