Jennifer Lopez tells Ryan Seacrest that she's also leaving 'American Idol'
Tear-filled radio announcement somewhat confirms exit reports
Jennifer Lopez
Credit: FOX
Are you a fan of American Idol?
Sign up to get the latest updates instantly.
One day after Steven Tyler made an official, FOX-released announcement that he's leaving "American Idol," Jennifer Lopez made a similar, somewhat more oblique, revelation on Ryan Seacrest's morning radio show.
"I honestly feel like the time has come that I have to get back to doing the other things that I do," Lopez told Seacrest on Friday (July 13) morning.
In a 15 minute conversation ostensibly to plug her new "Ice Age" sequel, Lopez continued to dance around the "Idol" departure issue as much as possible.
"When I signed on to 'Idol,' I signed on to do one year and I wound up doing two years, because I just fell so in love with the show, everybody there, you guys," she said.
She also added, "I didn't know I would be so moved emotionally by working on the show and working with the contestants. It was just such a lovely surprise to do it."
But when Lopez said that "something had to give," Seacrest finally asked, "Does that mean we're co-workers or not?"
It should be noted that Lopez's response to Seacrest's semi-point-blank question wasn't anything resembling definitive.
She did say things like "I could just keep doing 'Idol' for the rest of my life, but that would be giving up a bunch of other things" and, in tears, "It's just really going to be hard for me to go."
Lopez never said the magic words "I'm done with 'American Idol'" and, in fact, made it clear that she was open to appearing on the show in some capacity and merely distanced herself from the seven-month, weekly grind of the show, specifically referencing her twins as the facet of her life she was hoping to concentrate on (though her movie and music career will presumably also get attention).
"You don't want to shut the door completely, but you know the time has come," she said.
HitFix reached out to FOX for a confirmation, but the network has yet to officially respond.
For now, it sounds as if FOX's reality cornerstone is on the verge of replacing a minimum of two judges for the second time in three seasons. Tyler and Jennifer Lopez both joined for Season 10 when "Idol" faced the potential calamity of losing Simon Cowell. The Aerosmith frontman and the "Maid in Manhattan" star may not have contributed substantial critical evaluation, but their starpower likely helped keep "Idol" in its place atop the TV ratings landscape (albeit at a lower level last season).
In addition, speculation has been rampant that Randy Jackson may also be leaving the show he's been on since its inception. Only Seacrest, in fact, remains committed for the 12th season of "American Idol," at least as far as on-air talent goes.
Stay tuned!
Here's the full Seacrest/Lopez segment:
A long-time member of the TCA Board and a longer-time blogger of "American Idol," Dan Fienberg writes about TV, except for when he writes about movies or sometimes writes about the Red Sox. But never music. He would sound stupid talking about music.
Trending Now on HitFix Boards
| Topic | Started By | Latest Post | Replies |
|---|---|---|---|
| LianeBonin |
23 days ago
|
2
|
|
| LianeBonin |
10 months ago
|
3
|
|
| Discuss Reality TV on HitFix Message Boards » | |||
News From Our Partners
-
Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN- Announcement Trailer is Full of Swords and Ponytails
SNL: Ben Affleck Joins the "Fiver Timers Club" and Explains His Oscar Speech
SNL: Iran Responds to 'Argo' With a Film of Its Own
-
Cannes Film Festival: Cannes 2013, Day Three: Cheers for the young stars of The Selfish Giant, jeers for the new films by Hirokazu Kore-eda and Arnaud Desplechin
Hear This: Destroy This Place shows how press releases can get it right
Watch This: With Beavis And Butt-head Do America, Mike Judge skewered the idiocy of cinematic adventures
-
The Telefile - The Most Heinous Person on Reality TV This Week
The Telefile - Modern Family: The Best Lines of the Night
The Telefile - Fall TV 2013: What's On When
-
Watch 2PM Give Each Other Hugs, Spankings + Piggyback Rides at '2PM Is Back With Genie' Concert [Video]
Would Adam Lambert Judge 'American Idol?' [Video]
Chris Brown Receiving Death Threats
-
FTW vs. WTF: The TV Week in Review (May 19)
Doctor Who "The Name of the Doctor" Review: The Impossible Girl Made Possible
What to Watch This Weekend: The Season Finales of Nikita, Doctor Who, The Simpsons, and Family Guy
-
Box Office: 'Star Trek Into Darkness' Misses $100M Domestic Mark on Opening Weekend
Beyonce Pregnant Again? Sources Confirm 'Epic' Star Is Carrying Baby No. 2
'Hangover 3' Red Band Trailer: Take a Walk Down a NSFW Memory Lane (VIDEO)
-
Weekly Ketchup: Will Smith to Star in Wild Bunch Remake?
Critics Consensus: Star Trek Into Darkness is Certified Fresh
Red Carpet Roundup: Star Trek Into Darkness Edition
-
Kanye West Debuts 'Black Skinhead'
Kanye Storms 'SNL'
The 'Doctors' Unite
Comments
Option 1
Comment instantly as a guest GuestOption 2
Option 3
Login or create a HitFix account Login Signuptowatei
July 13, 2012 at 2:07PM EST Reply to CommentJanet Jackson and Dre 3000 of Outkast as new judges.