Why Did Paula Abdul Leave ‘American Idol’? Her Exit, Explained

American Idol premiered in 2001 with Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, and Paula Abdul behind the judges’ table. But Abdul left the show after Season 8 in 2009, followed by Cowell one year later, and then Jackson after Season 12 in 2013.

Since then, there have been several other celebrity judges on the show, but Season 24 will be bringing back two of the OGs for one night only. The May 4 episode will feature the return of Jackson and Abdul, who will serve as mentors to the Top 5 contestants. Abdul, meanwhile, will also get back behind the table to serve as a guest judge alongside Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, and Carrie Underwood.

In honor of her return to the show, we’re looking back at Abdul’s exit and why she decided to leave Idol after working on the show for eight years. Scroll down for more.

Why did Paula Abdul leave American Idol?

In 2016, Abdul told Entertainment Weekly, “It was time for me to leave.” She pointed out that being at Idol for eight years was the longest time she ever remained with one job.

“I felt that there were changes happening, and it didn’t feel like the same show,” Abdul admitted. “I needed to go back and do things I wanted to do, and being in that contract with the show didn’t allow me to do many things.”

Per People, Abdul also insisted in a 2009 interview with TV Guide that her exit wasn’t strictly about money, although she was reportedly earning less than Cowell, Jackson, and Ryan Seacrest.

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Following Abdul’s exit, a bombshell New York Times report said contract negotiations factored into Abdul’s decision.  The report claimed that Abdul was unhappy with the addition of Kara DioGuardi as a fourth judge in Season 8, as well, because she allegedly felt it was producers subtly letting her know she was replaceable.

Abdul was also reportedly upset with how often she was the butt of the joke at the judges’ table, with the paper even claiming she blamed Jackson and Cowell for ruining business opportunities for her outside of the show with their jokes. She hinted at this in her EW interview.

“I think that it would have been easier if I had grown up with brothers because being the only girl was just crazy,” Abdul admitted. “It’s live reality television, but you can forget that you’re living everything live in the moment. It’s not staged, it’s not planned, except when they went out of their way to tease me and cause trouble for me. That was planned. They had fun with me. They had lots of fun at my expense.”

What is Paula Abdul doing now?

After American Idol, Abdul was a main judge on Live to Dance and the first season of The X Factor in the U.S. in 2011. She was also a permanent judge on So You Think You Can Dance? for Seasons 12 and 13, as well as The Masked Dancer in 2020 and 2021. Additionally, she’s appeared as a guest judge on American Idol, Dancing With the Stars, RuPaul’s Drag Race, and more.

She has also continued her work as a choreographer and performer, having most recently toured during summer 2024.

Is Paula Abdul friends with Simon Cowell?

Abdul and Cowell have maintained a friendly relationship, but she has not been shy about admitting that he is “snarky” and tough to deal with sometimes.

Courtesy: Everett Collection

“Simon and I had a very authentic, interesting, eclectic relationship that played out on TV very well,” Abdul told Billboard in 2016. “It’s an acquired experience.” Abdul also told the outlet that Cowell’s attitude on American Idol was “appalling” to her at first, but she eventually learned how to “give it back” to him.

Abdul, Cowell, and Jackson reunited on The Kelly Clarkson Show in 2019 and Abdul later told People the reunion was “magical,” adding, “The chemistry is undeniable, that’s what’s made it always special. You can’t manufacture that.”

One thing she made very clear, though, was that there was never anything romantic between her and Cowell. “I mean, ew! No!” she said on Watch What Happens Live.

American Idol, Season 24, Mondays, 8/7c, ABC