Are Paula Abdul’s “American Idol” Days Coming to an End?

I tend to avoid all the gossip and speculative posts about contract negotiations since nothing is final and we really don’t know what is happening.  I do, however, take it a little more seriously when someone representing one of the parties makes a statement.

On the LA Times blog, they reported that Paula Abdul’s manager, David Sonenberg, had the following to say:  "Very sadly, it does not appear that she’s going to be back on ‘Idol.’  I find it under these circumstances particularly unusual; I think unnecessarily hurtful.  I find it kind of unconscionable and certainly rude and disrespectful that they haven’t stepped up and said what they want to do."

He goes on to say that he has "reached out to the head of business affairs at 19" and told Fox that "Paula would love to be on the show” but has “not received any proposal whatsoever."

Sonenberg continues his verbal diarrhea by adding: "She’s not a happy camper as a result of what’s going on. She’s hurt. She’s angry.  I think at this point we’re going to be considering everything, including some kind of a competition show. She has tremendous ideas for a whole variety of shows."

First of all, I think this guy could be getting overly dramatic for nothing.  I realize that Fox is really going down to the wire here and American Idol host, Ryan Seacrest, has been given a mammoth deal but surely he has some hope that this show would not go on without Paula.  Especially after Fox publicly said that she can stay on for “however long it [the show] lasts.”

image © 2007 FOX BROADCASTING CR: FOX