Despite all the rumors, American Idol is still without a third judge. When Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler decided to leave earlier this summer, the show's possibilities were wide open. They added Mariah Carey to one of the spots, and even though different people have been named in the negotiation, at least one spot is still open.
TMZ is now reporting that the show pursued Katy Perry for the part, which ended up being a part she really didn’t want.
"Idol pursued Perry relentlessly for weeks, eager to get her to sign on the dotted line," a source told TMZ. "According to our sources, they started the offer at $18 million, but threw even more cash on the table... $20 million for a one-year contract."
$20 million may seem like too much money to turn down, but it sounds like the money isn't what Perry was looking for. The sources told TMZ that she felt it just wasn't the right move for her career, which means money probably wasn't an issue even from the beginning.
Mariah Carey can't be happy with the news, since her contract is reportedly worth less than $20 million.
Another singer who is reportedly waiting for the call from American Idol is Alanis Morissette.
"I live to mentor, so my heart is much more open to the idea of that than even 10 years ago when I, perhaps, wasn't in a position to be able to offer much advice, solicited or otherwise," Morissette told Rolling Stone. "But I love watching people and just getting really curious about what they want and what they need and what their goals are, and then I can support them. I would do it formally, for sure."
Rolling Stone is also reporting that Nicki Minaj is "100 percent confirmed" for a role, which would leave judge Randy Jackson without a spot.
"There's also been talk that original judge Randy Jackson will move to a 'mentoring' role, leaving one more spot open," said Rolling Stone. "Rumors continue to swirl about who might take that spot, with names like Nick Jonas and Kanye West getting thrown into the ring."
No announcements have been made in regards to Minaj or any other additions to the show yet.