J-Lo’s Status on “American Idol” ‘Fluid’; Randy Shifting to Mentor?
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Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) — Steven Tyler quit his job as a judge on American Idol on Thursday to focus on performing with Aerosmith, but what are Jennifer Lopez and Randy Jackson’s plans for season 12 of the popular Fox show?
A source at Fox tells Deadline.com that negotiations with Lopez remain “complicated and fluid.”
The source adds, “It might get resolved very quickly or may drag on for another few weeks. All the usual reasons: money, schedules, desire to continue, and overall makeup of the judges’ panel.”
Idol had its lowest-rated finale ever last spring, and overall ratings were down, too. Yet, Lopez is reportedly asking for a lot of money to stay on board.
An insider tells Deadline.com, “I think she’s off and it’s mutual. They’re not inviting her back so quickly. Not because they’re unhappy with her. But because she wants a lot of f***ing money, a lot.”
On NBC’s Today show Thursday morning, Lopez sure sounded like she was already finished with Idol, saying, “I am thinking it’s time for me to go and do other things I love to do.”
So far, sources close to Fox have told Deadline.com that Lopez has not officially resigned from her judging position.
Elsewhere on the Idol front, a source tells Us Weekly that fellow judge Randy Jackson is also looking to leave the judges’ panel, though he would stay on as a mentor on the show. The source tells Us Weekly that “show producers think they need to freshen everything up now.”
According to Us Weekly, should Jackson and Lopez vacate their seats at the judges’ table, Mariah Carey is a likely candidate to replace them, since she’s managed by Jackson.
A source dishes, “They are in serious talks with Mariah and it’s very close to being a done deal. And they will move Randy into a more mentoring role.”
The insider adds that both Fergie of Black Eyed Peas fame and Idol alum Adam Lambert are being considered as possible new judges, too.
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