Home : TV, American Idol : Welcome to Hollywood -- Abdul Threatens 'Idol'

Welcome to Hollywood -- Abdul Threatens 'Idol'

Posted Jul 19th 2009 10:01AM by TMZ Staff

Paula AbdulPaul Abdul is hurt, angry and threatening to quit "American Idol" ... like "60 Minutes" wants to snatch her up.

It's absurd, but Abdul's manager told the L.A. Times, "Very sadly, it does not appear that she's going to be back on 'Idol," adding "Idol" producers have been "rude and disrespectful" by not offering her a new deal.

Ok, let's now get real. Our "A.I." spies say Abdul is raking in about 2 1/2 million bucks a year -- a nice check, but compared to the $15 mil a year that Ryan Seacrest just sealed ...

In Hollywood, stars have to talk the walk in order to rob the bank. Paula's manager says since "Idol" hasn't offered her a new deal she's now considering starting a competitive show. Here's the deal ... Paula tried starting her own series a few years back with Paramount .... NIGHTMARE! The idea crashed and burned.

So it's yet another ploy for more moolah, and more power to her. Whatever the deal it's a long way from Paula's first season paycheck -- our "A.I." spies say she was pulling in $5,000 a week.

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Tags: American Idol, AmericanIdol, contract, deal, FOX, kara dioguardi, KaraDioguardi, money, Paula Abdul, PaulaAbdul, quit, randy jackson, RandyJackson, ryan seacrest, RyanSeacrest, simon cowell, SimonCowell, threaten

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(Page 2 of 13) Previous 15 Comments | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Most Recent | Next 15 Comments

16. I am sorry, but Ryah Seacrest is marketable, and has a future ahead of him. He can go on national television interviews without being a drugged out mess.....so why would anyone compare their salary? Who is she kidding, whithout idol she would be making NOTHING! Her lip synced performance on the show last year was horrible, and she will never have some major come back! Paula, take the 2.5 million a shut up.

Posted at 10:58AM on Jul 19th 2009 by Kathy Edwards

17. This garbage happens every year. She threatens to quit about this time every year so that it starts the hype for the next season. She won't leave......she's not good enough to be on her own. This is just yet another reason why I have never watched Idol....and never will. All reality shows are stupid!!

Posted at 11:05AM on Jul 19th 2009 by drumgirl

18. Ryan Seacrest’s new contract, a reported $45 million, three-year deal that makes him the highest-paid reality host on television. Simon Cowell is also in negotiations to renew his contract, while Randy Jackson is attached to the show through 2011.

$45,000,000.00!!!!! YIKES...........................................

Posted at 10:51AM on Jul 19th 2009 by proud2Bblack

19. They are all overpaid but fair is fair....pay her more!

Seacrest deserves 15 mill a year?!
He would be a nobody without Idol. Paula at least has had a career as a talented dancer and choreographer/singer.
If she leaves I am not watching, it won't be the same.

Posted at 10:57AM on Jul 19th 2009 by boycott idol

20. PAULA< STOP DOING HERION

Posted at 10:58AM on Jul 19th 2009 by HighwayStar

21. PAULA. STOP DOING HERION

Posted at 10:59AM on Jul 19th 2009 by HighwayStar

22. PAULA, STOP DOING HERION

Posted at 11:00AM on Jul 19th 2009 by HighwayStar

23. JUST STOP

Posted at 11:01AM on Jul 19th 2009 by HighwayStar

24. PAULA SHOULD STAY!! RYAN and KARA SHOULD and MUST GO!! Show will SUCK WITHOUT PAULA!! WON'T WATCH SHOW WITHOUT PAULA!! GIVE PAULA a NEW DEAL!!

Posted at 11:01AM on Jul 19th 2009 by Keep Paula

25. At least Ryan Seacrest brings talent to the table. The only thing Paula brings to the table are crumbs and pills. Seacrest has his hands all over Hollywood so you know.

Posted at 11:01AM on Jul 19th 2009 by Sam Sunshine

26. Paula is as important to Idol as contestants...she is a fair judge...unlike others.... Also Ryan Seacrest is a whiny sickly host who irritates the hell out of me. How is he worth 15 mil ???

Simons inflated ego does nothing for the show whatever some try to say. He is as nauseating as Seacrest. They need a nice fair judge like Paula and two judges with some different types of charisma to add some further oomph....Simon needs to retire and stay in Barbados and Seacrest needs to go and grow up a bit......Paula needs to stay....

Posted at 11:04AM on Jul 19th 2009 by Cari

27. jUST SAY NO

Posted at 11:04AM on Jul 19th 2009 by HighwayStar

28. All these clowns are grossly over paid but for the love of God, get her off this show. She is talentless and I'm sick of seeing her falling off her chair half the time, slurring her words and making no sense whatsoever. Her crying and fawning over no talents on the show is getting old. Get rid of her...better yet...fire all of them. NO way in hell are ANY of these people worth one idota of what they are being paid. I can't stand watching this show most of the time anyway. We are in a major recession in this country. People are unemployed, have no health insurance and cannot afford to take their kids to the dentist and she is bitching about her fat ass paycheck. I would LOVE to see these people try to survive in the real world for even one damn day. If I showed up for work high like she does, not knowing what in the hell was going on, unable to talk and make any sense, my ass would be grass...and so should hers. She's a talentless, unattractive drug addict who should thankful she has a job. The only people on earth who deserve the kind of bank these ingrates are making are soliders, cops, firefighters, teachers, coal miners, plumbers and all those others who do hard, dangerous, physical jobs. This ingrate sits on her ass, high as a kite, does not know where she is 99% of the time, yet wants to bitch that about that even worse Simon is making more scratch than she is???? There all make me want to hurl,

Posted at 11:10AM on Jul 19th 2009 by Southern NIghts

29. YOU ARE RIGHT "HIGHWAY STAR" PAULA NEEDS STOP DOING HERION ON A DAILY BASES.

Posted at 11:08AM on Jul 19th 2009 by Sam Sunshine

30. Paula Abdul needs to go! She can't even speak in complete sentences, she doesn't make sense, she acts very immature and she dresses horrible. I think the judges on So You Think You Can Dance offer entertaining remarks, as well as, constructive criticism. Paula should GO!

Posted at 3:41PM on Jul 19th 2009 by bh2

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