Report: Jennifer Lopez Asked to Replace Mariah Carey on American Idol
A major mid-season shakedown may be brewing at American Idol.
Network executives are planning to bring back former judge Jennifer Lopez to replace Mariah Carey, TMZ reports, citing a ratings nosedive as the reason. Despite a public feud with co-judge Nicki Minaj, viewership has plummeted since Mimi joined the judging panel and last week's episode was the lowest rated since the show began in 2002.
Lopez is already scheduled to appear on the weekly competition show as a performer, but sources report that execs at Fox are hoping to woo her back on a more permanent basis and believe the Puerto Rican diva can help bring the show back to glory. Interestingly, this puts J. Lo in a great bargaining position, since Fox refused to meet her salary demands to stay on last year.
No official announcement has been made on the switcheroo, but if rumors are true it should happen swiftly and Carey will be ousted before the end of the season. It's not clear whether Minaj's job is also in jeopardy.
Stay tuned for all the back room drama!
Get ready for the BET Experience, featuring Beyoncé, Snoop Dogg, R. Kelly, Erykah Badu, Kendrick Lamar and many more. Go here for more details and info on how to buy tickets.
BET.com is your #1 source for Black celebrity news, photos, exclusive videos and all the latest in the world of hip hop and R&B music.
Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.
(Photos from left: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images, Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images)