Paula Abdul Tweets Bye-Bye to Idol

Guess who just blinked in American Idol's high stakes game of chicken? Paula Abdul says she's leaving the show.

She just tweeted this:

"With sadness in my heart, I've decided not to return to Idol. 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."

Sources have told TMZ that Paula's been negotiating for a big raise, and the deadline was this week because rehearsals are about to start.

So, hardball negotiation ploy on Paula's part or the real deal?

Stay tuned...