American Idol Judge Jennifer Lopez Begins Contract Negotiations With Uncertainity

Jennifer Lopez - American Idol

Jennifer Lopez has unofficially launched her contract renegotiation with American Idol. The middle-seated judged got the “will she, won’t she” ball rolling late last week when she began her annual process of questioning her return to the show that saved her career.

Lopez sat down with E! News’ Ryan Seacrest where he asked if she was thinking about her next season of American Idol. “I don’t know,” Lopez began. “I have some movie things in the works and I have the tour. I love the show. It hurts me to think about not doing it,” she continued. Jennifer also explained that her biggest priority is balancing time with her children.

In case this all seems very similar, it is. Last summer Lopez gave an interview where she said, “I had an amazing time doing [Idol] and I loved it but I have a lot other things happening, and it’s going to come down to me making a choice of what I want to do for the next year.” Of course the real issue then wasn’t her schedule, but rather her bank account. Jennifer was holding out for a big pay raise and finally signed when she was promised $20 million for American Idol 2012. Now that Britney Spears has signed on to The X Factor for $15 million Lopez may be stomping her feet and holding her breath for even more money.

So when will we hear what JLo has decided to do? Lopez explained her process, “we’re not really at the breaking point of ‘You have to make a decision right now!’ I’m just really enjoying the time of just waiting and seeing.” Oh, no wait, that was what she said last year. This year Jennifer said, “everything is kinda like not thinking too far ahead, just kinda taking it day by day and we’ll see. I never make the decisions until it’s time to make the decisions.” Seriously? Does her manager just have a playbook of scripts to reuse each season?

Since Lopez is just reusing what she said last season of American Idol then I’ll follow her lead. Here’s what I had to say then:

Jennifer Lopez had an album that sat on the shelf unfinished for years and she was dropped by her label, Sony. Then, along comes Idol, offers her a job, and props up her former career. What does she do in return? She spends months talking about how she’s really busy now and not sure she wants to come back to the show that put her back in the spotlight.

JLo is coming back for American Idol 2013. I don’t care what games she’s playing now. She knows she’ll never get as good a deal as she has on Idol. They give her tons of money for little work and provide her a platform for her annual single she releases. Jennifer Lopez will be back next year and she should think about showing some respect in the meantime. Of course, that’s if American Idol wants her.

Watch Lopez’s interview with E! News below (yes, the video annoyingly auto-plays):

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66 Comments

  1. do we REALLY NEED jennifer lopez back???  she’s almost as absurd as having britney spears as a judge on x factor.  two amazing bundles of talent!!

    • JLo should stay, I don’t care if it’s true that she wants more pay. I think Steven needs to be replaced instead, his comments are so bland and almost always non-critical.

    • Agree.. I cannot see where she has really done Idol any good…it seems like Idol has done her a lot of good…for someone who was not doing a whole lot before Idol re-juvenated her slumping career…personally I am getting very tired of Idol…will definitely be watching the Voice.

      • love “the voice” and the talent.  most of the contestants are seasoned, polished performers who are looking for exposure.  their final four are awesome, especially juliet simms and chris mann.

  2. Okay, first of all, Jennifer must treat Idol with a little more respect, I completely agree that Idol completely rejuvenated her dwindling career. I had absolutely no idea where in the world she was (apart from those horrible rom coms) and then she made a huge, I mean HUGE comeback last year, all thanks to Idol!
    Yes, OF COURSE she’s looking at Britney and Christina on their respective singing shows and is hoping for a raise next season. I have no doubt in my mind that she will (and should) return.
    In all fairness, I must say that Jennifer is quite a good judge for the show. She brings some humanity and acts as the matriarch of the show. Of course, not upto the level that Paula Abdul was, but still…And she also adds star power and many fans internationally as well watch the show for her.
    Honestly, I hope the same judges panel returns, along with Jimmy and of course Ryan. I can;t bear another shake-up, and the show is stable now.

    PS. What they SHOULD change, though is that horrible new “IDOL” logo they debuted this year. Hate it!!!

    •  Agree!!! That new logo is disgusting!!! 😛
      The Season 7-8-9 logo and opening credits was the best so far! The current one is so lame…and the color scheme? I prefer blue to yellow and orange…oh well, at least the season was good!

  3. LOL on the picture!!! Sums it all up! She’s WAY too greedy!! They should replace JLo with Kelly Clarkson! SHE was awesome on The Voice and knows a thing or ten about what the kids go through, plus Idol is her home!!!
    They should ditch the entire panel and start fresh with new people. And I think Randy’s had his run…

    • This blog used the exact same picture last year. They must really enjoy posting it. It sure makes her look like a pig, huh?

      While I’ve never been a fan of JLo, I have to admit that sometimes her comments  are the only ones that show any thought. Other times, though, she proves she’s just a minion for whatever she’s told to say/do–as did Randy and Steven.  (In case those comments mystify you, I am speaking of the Haley Rinehart critiques last year. Just so mean and unbelievably wrong–I think Steven was the most  honest with respect to his critiques of her.)

      Personally, I don’t care if she stays or goes. Eh.

    •  I don’t care a hoot about the judges, mentors etc. What matters is the talent. I’m going to keep watching Idol regardless of who’s sitting at the judges’ table…watching these kids’ dreams come true is what draws us all in in the first place, not what the judges say!

    • Yeah! Have you seen her Audition when she was judging the burger? —Awe… I mean, when she was judging the ham?…. Awe…. Damn—When she was judging Randy!? There you are hahahaha

  4. I say let her go. She offers nothing. I say get rid of Randy too and replace the two with people who will actually judge fairly and unbiasedly even when it’s their favorites. I say keep Steven on because you need the “nice” judge and he can be entertaining at times(plus the fact he’s the only one on the current panel who can actually sing thus can give good advice on singing). You can replace Randy with Jimmy Iovine as Jimmy seems like he would be a better judge than a mentor. To replace JLo I’d say Peggy Blu(the vocal coach from hell) would be an acceptable replacement as she seems like she will dish out some honesty.

  5. How is Jennifer not showing ‘respect’? She and Simon Fuller are good friends.

    She is an actress, singer, Idol judge, entrepreneur and a single mom. She has a hit single (Dance Again), three upcoming movies, a clothing line, a new fragrance and an upcoming world tour. So yes, she is kinda busy. :p

    She is a great judge and I hope she’ll be back next  year! 🙂

    • She wants Jessica to win and so does Randy. She let’s her choice be known. Last year she wanted Pia. So this year she kept the save for Jessica.  I’ll never forget the night Jessica was voted off, they should of let her leave, she is no more deserving then the others who were sent home and not saved.  

      • Totally agree, she has shown her bias toward both J’s…personally I think all 3 should go.

      • She also said she wants Joshua to win.

        She is the one who gave Hollie a 2nd chance. She’s been rooting for her all season.

        She’s also a fan of Jeremy and DeAndre….

        Jessica is obviously a better singer than Colton, Elise and Hollie so I’m glad the judges saved her. 🙂

      • Goodness, the season’s almost over. And you’re still bitter? Jessica’s deserved the save more than anyone that you can think of.

      • Agree. She had her favorites who are “surprisingly” the top 3 now and all she did was praising them all season instead of giving them some constructive criticism. Sad that contastents like Hollie went home because of her :

      • Who do you think deserved the vote? It just so happen that Jessica was  in the hot seat that night. And they believe in Jessica’s talent. With no doubt, Jessica has the best voice among the contestants. So why object?

    • She has most of those current opportunities as a result of Idol bringing her back to the spotlight. Idol helps her and then turns around and acts like she doesn’t have time for it anymore. She will definitely come back and acting otherwise is what I find disrespectful. I’d rather hear Jennifer say, “I’m grateful for the opportunity and want to find a way to come back next season.” Instead she tries for the “I don’t know if I’ll have time for something like this” attitude which implies it’s an “unworthy of her attention” event.

      •  I get your point,  but she also said “I love this show. It hurts to think about not doing it”.

        I really think she’s just being honest. 🙂

      • @Jacko86:disqus : It’s entirely possible that she’s being completely honest. The striking similarities to the same line of “gee, I don’t know if I have time” that she used last season to launch months of negotiations comes off as insincere.

  6. If she does come back it needs to made clear to her she is not partial to any contestant and does not beg America for votes for her favorite.
    I like JLO but she is way to partial. This is American Idol not Judges Idol.
    It needs to be made clear to her !!!!! She is already over paid,does not deserve a raise.

  7. Jennifer is they only decent judge on the show.  She is the only judge the media are interested in. They will want to keep her. I am a big fan of Steven Tyler and in the first season at the start he was so funny He looks like he is  tired with the show  now.  Randy is just terrible.  They should bring in  Justin Tmberlake &  a country star in to replace Randy & Steven.

  8. I for one hope that none of the three judges come back. We really need a new slate. I love Ryan and am glad he is coming back, but the three judges???? All need to be replaced. Time for new blood.

  9. New Judges!! Goose JLO right on out of there……

    Replace JLO with one of:
    Mariah Carey, Mary J Blige, Alicia Keys, Janet

    Replace Steven with one of:
    Kelley Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Dolly, Keith Urban

    Replace Randy…with anyone for god’s sakes.
    Justin Timberlake, Todd Rundgren, Aaron Sprinkle, Brian Wilson

    • Mary J Blige was HORRIBLE when she sat in as a judge (was that last year?) when people were trying out. She was just horrible. I guess she learned from that, because I’ve seen her since on the show making helpful comments. But I gotta tell you, she was just off the wall when she was on the panel and I can’t erase that from my mind. 

      So, please, no Mary J Blige, even though I love her voice.

    • For me, nice choices would be Alicia Keys, Stevie Nicks and… Kara DioGuardi.

  10. Thank you J.Lo for letting us know that you would sign Deandre if you had a record label!!!!!!

    • When did she say that? I remember Randy saying he was ready and that he was commercial and had “everything” but I don’t remember JLo saying she would sign him. 

      • She said that on the radio the Johnjay & rich morning show. tunein web turner.

      • She did say that. Thanks for the heads up!! I’m totally a JLo fan now.

        It’s true. Given 5 seconds who is the most memorable of the season? Not even one of the contestants left. It’s DeAndre. Why? Because he is the whole package! That’s why.

      • I totally agree with you. I think he deserved to be in the top 3. But some people didn’t really get to him. I wish he had played the ukulele at the show. He would win america over like philip did.

  11. If AI doesn’t continue with JLO’s goosies therapy, I’m prepared to step in and give her on the goosing she needs….free of charge.

  12. JLo adds absolutely nothing to the show. Mudane and long winded insincere remarks put her at the bottom of the list for me. If I were advising Idol I would say dump her. Steven Tyler is absolutely the best of the lot. He is thoughtful, direct and honest. I think the contestants respect his judgement many times more than either of the others.
        Bring someone else in to replace JLo and the show will trend up again.

  13. I would definitely like Randy to go. I’ve had enough of all his nonsense comments since season 1! ‘Yo! Hey Ryan, this guy is in it to win it!’ lmao. Fed up much. Jimmy as an official judge please!

    • Yes!! Randy needs to go “listen something”. He’s outdated for American Idol. He’s a Simon Cowell wannabe. Ryan is the one who keeps things rolling. Ryan is the heart and soul of the show now that Simon is gone and we just don’t need Randy anymore. His comments are useless and he is an AI producer’s puppet on a string.

      • I’m not watching AI if Ryan’s not hosting it.

        As for Randy, well, his time should be up on AI. Unfortunately, Randy won’t be going anywhere because he keeps on pimping the show.

    • Top 10 Randy Jackson Predictable Quotes

      Dawg…Dawg…that was so Dope

      It was a little pitchy in spots

      That was the right key for you. I like the way you kept it low in the front, man, and kicked it up and brought the rocker edge at the end. That was hot.

      It didn’t show enough of you for me.

      This is the best season ever!

      Contestant, Contestant, Contestant. I love your voice man, you give me chills… Brilliant.

      It wasn’t good for me, it just laid there.

      It was way too big for you, dude. It’s about a five.

      Contestant’s back, and he’s kicking and taking names.He’s in this for the win!!

      Loved every minute of it! Dawg, you were the bomb!

  14. The issue before with Paula Abdul’s no show was the salary.  Now, it’s the same thing with J-Lo.  To think that Paula was asking for $12M (J-Lo reportedly receives $15M).  Now that J-Lo is hesitant to extend her AI stint for another year, it’s about time the producers should consider hiring Paula Adbul back in the show.  It would be interesting to watch her with Steven Tyler.

  15. JHO going going gone, that’s the best news I heard this morning with my cup ‘o java, yea, bravo, let her go.  She’s been the most annoying  judge ever on AI.  Here we have a chick who just loves to hear herself chit chit chit and we are so over you darlin’.  Just take the money and run to another “low class” reality show.  Maybe you can actually do some real dirty dancing for a living.  I am one of the most open minded people on planet Earth, but I have found it hard to believe that AI has allowed the 2 performances by JHO on a show that many many little kids watch.  She all but  you know what that dude partner the other night.  Just let her go into oblivion, you won’t be missed darlin’.

  16. I think the 3 have a good chemistry together and would hate to see it broken up.   However………I would hope someone ANYONE would talk to Jennifer and tell her to stop talking over top of Randy and Steven, especially when their opinions or takes on the songs are different than hers.  This is very rude and so annoying to sit at home and watch/listen to.  She comes across arrogant… that it’s her way or no way. 

  17. Is anyone, ANYONE, “really” worth $20,000,000 or more to sit their a$$ behind a table to just mouth a few words for two hours a WEEK?   And don’t start with the I’m jealous crap cause it won’t fly here!  She held out for an $8 MILLION DOLLAR INCREASE last year, so this year she’ll want at least another $10 MILLION tacked on? 

    So much despair in our country now and Miss Greedy feels she’s worth every penny.  Think again J-Lo….just ride off with your son, ‘er I mean, BOYFRIEND and have a great life. 

    Here’s a thought…spend some REAL time with your kids, and we don’t mean CASPER!

  18. Jennifer is the one judge that needs to stay!  Randy… maybe it’s time for new blood,  but Steven needs to go! 

3 Trackbacks / Pingbacks

  1. American Idol Plans Creative Changes For Season 12 | American Idol Net
  2. American Idol Judge Jennifer Lopez Continues To Question Her Return | American Idol Net
  3. American Idol 2012 To Be Jennifer Lopez’s Last Says Insider | American Idol Net

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