LOS ANGELES – Paula Abdul announced Tuesday she is quitting "American Idol," a show that she said became an international phenomenon with her help.

"With sadness in my heart, I've decided not to return" to the hit Fox TV singing contest, Abdul said in a posting on her Twitter account.

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.

On Monday, Fox announced that Kara DioGuardi would return for a second season on the "American Idol" judging panel that includes Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson. The addition of Grammy-nominated songwriter DioGuardi last year raised questions about Abdul's future.

In July, Abdul told The Associated Press that she had been invited to stay with "Idol" as long as the show lasted and that she was optimistic that she would be able to negotiate a new contract.

But the 47-year-old singer-dancer said the invitation to come back was subject to agreement on the details of a new deal.

Abdul began working with a new manager, David Sonenberg, in recent weeks.

"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," Abdul said on Twitter.

bytch was fired....

run Paula, RUN!!!!

BklynBabe said:

I believe that was the case lol

I was considering watching this upcoming season (I didn’t last), but without the suspense of Is Paula gonna make it through this show without nodding off? or Will her next comment make any damn sense?? I don’t think I can be bothered.

Oh well.

they already brought in here replacement with Kara ... they just wanted to offer Paula the lowest amount of money to keep her around. Paula added the crazy charm to the show and her stage/professional experience outweighs Kara's Imo.

BklynBabe said:

I don't think she was fired. I think she wanted more money and they wouldn't give it to her to force her to quit.

We should have seen it coming. Especially after they added Kara and gave Ryan and Simon a huge pay raise.

utopia7 said:

I agree with that for sure. Kara is only a songwriter and aspiring singer. I think she took the gig to jump-start her career.

Isn't that show about over yet?

coolcat said:

daPrettyman said:

I'm still trying 2 figure out the Ryan pay hike? Who does he KNOW?

Graycap23 said:

It's probably more like who has he f-ed. You know, it's rumored that Merv Griffin turned him out and helped to make him a star. Before he hooked up with him, he did small-town radio and a few reality/dating shows (Blind Date).

Great! Now, She can focus on some music...if she still gots it

daPrettyman said:

Well his rise has sure been fast and far, because Ryan Seacrest owns so much shit in televison and radio now, his empire is growing steadily to resemble the Merv Griffin/ick Clark/Ken Erlich model of 'own everything you can get your hands on'.

daPrettyman said:

Merv.....that says it all.
I did not know that he was in the Merv "Group".
Thanks.

" Thats like getting Christopher Reeve to judge a dance contest!!" ~ Chris Rock

This broad is stupid for leaving this gig. You sucked, you were high for 90% of the show & you fucked barely legal contestant! Now add you can't sing, you were basically thrown out of the music business or "hide" because Milli Vinilli brought heat to non-singing acts.

A Drugged Up Reality Show is the only way to go - Hey Paula Part 2.

Graycap23 said:

Read this article Rolling Stone did with Merv.
http://www.rollingstone.c...er_fantasy

''He's my discovery.'' Ryan Seacrest? Ditto. (Merv hired him to host Click, a game show, when Seacrest was just twenty-two. What did Merv see in him? ''Energy. The look of him. Easy smile. He just could do it.'')


I also found this article on a google group:
http://groups.google.com/...3364669f19

http://www.tmz.com/2009/0...idol-quit/

Posted Aug 5th 2009 10:14AM by TMZ Staff

Paula Abdul and 'A.I.'Our sources at "American Idol" say the show made Paula Abdul two offers ... and then she just went and quit by tweet.

As we already reported, we're told Paula was pulling in somewhere between $2 and $3 million a year and she wanted more. Our sources say "A.I." made her an offer that she didn't like at all. Paula countered but producers didn't want to pay that much, so they countered with another offer.

Rather than responding to the second offer, Paula shocked everyone by tweeting her goodbye. The weirdest thing ... "A.I." took the tweet seriously and responded with an official sayonara.

We're told Paula made it especially difficult during the negotiations because she changed management twice.

One person at "Idol" called her reaction "an emotional tweet." You don't learn that in law school.

As for what she'll do, we're told producer Nigel Lythgoe has given her a standing offer to be a guest judge on "So You Think You Can Dance." Here's what we're thinking -- he'd kill to make her a regular.

Paula's kinda crazy ... but crazy sells.

I never watched the show alot, but I was always puzzled why Paula was on it, she can't sing for shit. Now if she was a judge on "So You Think You Can Dance" I'd understand that, dancing is more her thing.

Abdul said:

No, she's not a great singer, but she was a pop star and that's what they were looking for on Idol.

daPrettyman said:

She's not even a singer.

Graycap23 said:

Lame as he is (and he is REALLY lame), I think he's more qualified to do his job than Paula was to do her last two jobs...

uPtoWnNY said:

No, but she is a POP star. Same can be said for Janet and Britney. They are straight up POP stars.

NDRU said:

Can't argue that.....but Paula's quirky ways worked 4 the show.

Graycap23 said:

Maybe they want to try to give the show more credibility. With Paula exiting, that will leave Simon (a record exec), Randy (a record producer/musician) and Kara (a songwriter/singer). So, maybe that's what they're going for? I don't know.

Graycap23 said:

I must say I prefer her to the other girl

daPrettyman said:

She saw what Ryan got and her EGO went nuts.

daPrettyman said:

no question they've tried to make the people seem more creative than they did in the beginning. But I think it's too late for an real credibility other than their massive success.

Graycap23 said:

He knows Simon's BALLS!!!!!
The question is.....Fuller or Cowell or BOTH?????