The producers of “American Idol” are still gearing up to give their inexplicable viewership an experience worthy of their decision to replace Jennifer Lopez. Or at least, they’re scrambling to make up for their (justified) refusal to pay JLo $17 million. Oh, and they’re still working to replace Steven Tyler and that other guy as well. So far, diva extraordinaire Mariah Carey has been signed as a judge, and since they’ve probably got their diva quota filled for the season, the producers have gone a little less extreme and a bit lower profile with their latest announced selection: Nicki Minaj. Good choice?

Nicki Minaj — and her multiple personas — will be joining Mariah Carey at the judges’ table on American Idol, two sources confirm to Us Weekly exclusively.

“I’m not sure the deal is completely done yet, but yes, she is definitely doing it,” one insider reveals. “A few more slight things to sign off on but it is happening.”

A second source says the “Super Bass” rapper, 29, is “100% confirmed to judge American Idol.” Reps for FOX and Minaj had no comment when contacted by Us.

Minaj — born Onika Tanya Maraj — toured North America with Britney Spears throughout 2011; she will embark on her own world tour beginning October 21 in Nottingham, England. The rapper’s latest album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, debuted at No. 1 in April 2012 and spawned two Top 10 singles, “Starships” and “Pound the Alarm.”

On July 23, five-time Grammy Award winner Mariah Carey confirmed she will appear as a judge on American Idol next season. “As a singer, songwriter and producer, it’s going to be fun and rewarding to help find new talent and give back with American Idol,” the singer said in a statement. “I can’t wait to channel my creative energy as a part of this show which is a massive global phenomenon.”

As Us exclusively reported in late July, Nick Jonas, 19, is also in the running to fill one of the vacant seats at the judges’ table. (Randy Jackson, 56, is being moved into a “mentoring role,” according to a source.)

The “Who I Am” singer later confirmed the news via Twitter. “I am being considered to be a judge on American Idol,” Jonas wrote. “And it would be a dream come true if it happens.” N.E.R.D. rapper Pharrell Williams, 39, is also being considered, according to insiders.

[From Us Weekly]

Well, at least we know that Minaj must have been more affordable than the reported annual $12 million that Mariah tied down for her contract. I honestly don’t know much about Minaj except that her singing/rapping voice annoys me terribly, and I count her amongst the current unholy trifecta of weird costume antics (other members including Katy Perry and Lady Gaga, of course) whose so-called “shock” value outweighs their talent by far.

So this leaves the question of who the requiste “dude” will be on the judging panel. Nick Jonas seems like a likely choice because he’d probably be cheap (his solo career hasn’t done so great), and he’ll (theoretically) bring the young female demographic in to roost. Thoughts?

Photos courtesy of WENN

Here we go with the drama, people. Just this morning, we reported that the ever-crazily-dressed Nicki Minaj was a confirmed choice to judge the upcoming season for “American Idol” and that she would be joining Mariah Carey, who has secured a $12 million salary just to say semi-cruel things and break into spontaneous song at the judges’ table. Well, the producers are certainly getting their advance money’s worth from Mariah, who is throwing a publicity-laden diva fit over the selection of Minaj. Of course, the wording is ambiguous here, so we don’t know how Mariah feels about Nicki (but let’s get real — Mariah probably dislikes her with the fury of a thousand diamond-encrusted suns). Instead, the whole issue seems to be that Mariah says she was promised that she’d be the only female judge on the panel. Uh-oh:

Nicki Minaj may well become a judge on “American Idol,” but it will be at the expense of Mariah Carey, who we’re told hung up the phone when she was told Nicki was the top candidate.

Sources connected with “Idol” tell TMZ … Mariah was led to believe she would be the only woman on the judge’s panel. Choosing Nicki would not only crush that expectation, it would add insult to injury because Nicki (29) is a lot younger than Mariah (42).

As for the composition of the judge’s panel, we’re told by no means is it a done deal. There are 2 scenarios being played out. First, it’s unclear if Randy Jackson will come back as a judge or a mentor. If he leaves the judge’s panel, there will be another spot to fill.

The second scenario … we’re told some of the honchos believe it’s a mistake to have 2 women and a man on the panel, and a 4th male judge would be necessary.

As for who’s still in the running, we’re told Brad Paisley, Keith Urban and Enrique Iglesias are leading the pack.

And there’s one other thing … Sources connected with the show say they’re worried … if the judges end up being Mariah, Nicki and Randy … middle America might not welcome the blackout.

[From TMZ]

Honestly, I think that Mariah would love to be the only woman on the panel because, you know, more attention going her way and all that. But I think the real issue here is something else, and it’s not even the age difference. Mariah probably feels like she’s really earned her place because she’s been a pop sensation for (literally) decades. In comparison, Minaj is fresh off the dayglo turnip truck, right? But I think for $12 million, Mariah could afford to shut up and put up with whomever the producers choose. Most people (not me, obviously!) are annoyed by at least one of their close co-workers without such enjoying the comfort of a grand salary to make it all better.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and WENN

Most of us are guilty of referring to Jennifer Lopez as a “diva” at various times, although I think that descriptor is a bit unfair in J.Lo’s case. You rarely hear about her being late or acting in an unprofessional manner, although it’s always ALL ABOUT J.LO whenever she’s around. Well, The J.Lo Show is over on American Idol, with Jennifer and Steven Tyler both leaving the show a few weeks ago. Since they announced their departures, AI producers seem to be looking at everybody from Mary J. Blige to Miley Cyrus to Katy Perry to Kanye West. And of course, Mariah Carey. Well, Mariah was officially announced as the newest judge yesterday! THE MARIAH SHOW is upon us.

Out with the old and in with the new! As Us Weekly first reported July 12, Mariah Carey was in talks to become a judge on the twelfth season of American Idol — and now it’s a done deal. “As a singer, songwriter and producer, it’s going to be fun and rewarding to help find new talent and give back with American Idol,” the five-time Grammy Award winner said in a statement July 23.

“I’m currently in the studio working on my new album and its first single, ‘Triumphant,’ which will be out early next month,” Carey added. “I can’t wait to channel my creative energy as a part of this show which is a massive global phenomenon.”

American Idol creator and executive producer Simon Fuller, 52, says he is “proud to have one of the world’s greatest-ever female singers join our show. Mariah defines the word ‘Idol’ and will inspire every singer that has the honor of performing in front of her.”

Carey’s hiring comes just weeks after Jennifer Lopez, 42, and Steven Tyler, 64, announced their departures from the FOX smash. Judge Randy Jackson, 56, is expected to return for Season 12; he has been with the show since its inception in 2002.

“Randy has been working with Mariah for a long long time and is her co-manager,” Kevin Reilly, president of entertainment for FOX, said. “Randy was very instrumental in doing this deal.”

Carey served as a guest mentor during Season 7 of American Idol, with David Cook covering her hit “Always Be My Baby,” Jason Castro singing her smash “I Don’t Wanna Cry” and Carly Smithson eliciting applause for her rendition of “Without You.”

Previous American Idol judges include Simon Cowell, 52, Paula Abdul, 50, Kara DioGuardi, 41, and Ellen DeGeneres, 54. “I am so excited to be on Idol,” Carey tells Us. “I can’t wait to get started!”

[From Us Weekly]

When I wrote about the possible replacements last week, this is what I said: “You know Mariah would be a glorious trainwreck and people would simply tune in to see THE MARIAH SHOW, also known as American Idol WITH MARIAH CAREY… And Kanye… well, if Mariah is on board, then I really hope and pray that Kanye signs on too. Because that would be MAGIC!! Kanye + Mariah = MUST SEE TV.” I stand by that – what if what if what if American Idol hired Kanye West next and Kanye and Mariah had to sit next to each other and try to out-crazy, out-diva, out-ego each other for months at a time? It really would be AMAZING.

Oh, and the anti-Mariah contingent was already out within minutes of this announcement – TMZ reported that when Mariah was a guest mentor in 2008, she was an unmitigated “nightmare”. Sources say Mariah “was incredibly late for her shoot at the Beverly Hills Hotel, ‘not very nice at all,’ and ridiculously nitpicky about tiny details.” Tiny details like her lighting, her own special wind machine (which she won’t share, even for Kanye), the camera angles, her chair, her makeup, her hair, being contractually allowed to break into song at a moment’s notice, etc, etc. You know the trainwreck is coming. It really will be an epic experience. Simon Fuller is going to rue the day.

PS… We didn’t talk about money, did we? Nick told people last week that if they wanted Mariah, they were going to have to bring the $$$$. TMZ says Mariah’s first year contract is worth $12 million, but I’ve heard other (higher) figures too. Also: it was an either/or thing with Mariah and Jennifer Lopez – producers were interested in Mariah, but they didn’t pursue her until J.Lo stepped away.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

When we discussed Jennifer Lopez’s announcement on Friday, I said that I was disappointed in her decision to quit American Idol. I read it as Jennifer quitting a show that had given her career a second act, and that she probably left after a squabble about money (and/or scheduling). But! Some of you theorized that with Jennifer AND Steven Tyler’s hasty exits, that they had been pushed out rather than deciding to leave of their own volition. The Wrap and Radar agrees with that theory – their sources claim that Jennifer asked for a $2 million bump in salary, and Idol was all “Eh. Not so much.”

Jennifer Lopez says it was her choice to leave “American Idol” — but the singer was actually dumped by Fox when she asked for a $2 million raise in salary to $17 million, a person familiar with the negotiations told TheWrap.

Fox also opted not to pick up Steven Tyler’s option, the person said. Tyler announced his departure Thursday, saying he had decided to devote his energies to his first love, Aerosmith. Lopez said she wanted to focus on other aspects of her career and her children.

The exits — and the possible departure of Randy Jackson, widely speculated to be considering an exit after judging on all 11 seasons of the former No. 1 show — come as it undergoes another dramatic overhaul, just two seasons after the show was retooled by introducing Tyler and Lopez.

The insider said top Fox executives Peter Rice and Kevin Reilly want to revamp the show, and that Rice has told colleagues he wants an “Idol 2.0,” of which host Ryan Seacrest would be the only essential ingredient.

A Fox spokeswoman declined to comment.

The insider said J. Lo’s fee went from $12 million in her first season to $15 million in her second. When she asked for another $2 million, the network surprised her by not making a counteroffer.

“Idol” lost its top spot in the ratings to NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” last season after eight years of dominance. In their two seasons, Tyler and Lopez helped prop up the show. But they could not return it to its former dominance as the sing-off market became glutted with competition, including NBC’s “The Voice” and Fox’s “X Factor” from ex-”Idol” judge Simon Cowell.

That glut — which also includes ABC’s “Duets” — has created a mini gold rush for singers.

Many music stars are being considered to replace Lopez and Tyler, including Mariah Carey — whom Cowell has long sought for “X Factor” — Kanye West, Mary J. Blige and Lenny Kravitz.

If Jackson stays with “Idol,” he has an inside track with Carey that his former “Idol” colleague lacked: Jackson is Carey’s manager.

[From The Wrap]

So it was about money AND it was about being dumped. Allegedly. I could see it playing out like this – Jennifer wasn’t sure if she wanted to do another season but she wanted to see how much they would give her, and when they didn’t dump at the chance to pay her $17 million, she saw the writing on the wall and it became a “mutual” decision. And poor Steven Tyler!

As for the names being mentioned as possible replacements… well, you know Mariah would be a glorious trainwreck and people would simply tune in to see THE MARIAH SHOW, also known as American Idol WITH MARIAH CAREY. Mary J. Blige has the benefit of being actually qualified to mentor young talent and give good criticism, so obviously she’s probably not really in the running. Lenny Kravitz would be interesting – have you ever seen him in a television interview? He’s actually a really good sport, and he doesn’t mind making fun of himself. He would be interesting. And Kanye… well, if Mariah is on board, then I really hope and pray that Kanye signs on too. Because that would be MAGIC!! Kanye + Mariah = MUST SEE TV.

Here are some photos of Jennifer performing in Montreal over the weekend:

Photos courtesy of WENN, Fame/Flynet.

For months, Jennifer Lopez has been playing a one-woman Hamlet in the press, changing her mind daily about whether she would return for a third season of American Idol, the reality show which gave her career one of the most extraordinary second acts in modern celebrity. J.Lo was still playing word games yesterday during her interviews, not confirming or denying that she was leaving. Then, in a sudden move late yesterday, Steven Tyler announced that HE was leaving Idol to focus on Aerosmith. So Jennifer decided to walk all over Steven’s announcement by suddenly announcing that yes, she’s made up her mind, and she’s definitely leaving.

After months of speculation, and the “hardest business conversation she’s ever had,” Jennifer Lopez confirms she is leaving American Idol after two seasons.

“I honestly feel like the time has come that I have to get back to doing the other things that I do that I put … on hold because I love Idol so much,” Lopez, 42, told Ryan Seacrest Friday on his KIIS-FM morning show.

“I could do Idol for the rest of my life,” she said, “but that would be giving up a bunch of other things. We had an amazing run.”

Lopez follows in the footsteps of fellow judge Steven Tyler, who announced Thursday that he will not be returning for another season.

There is also speculation that veteran critic Randy Jackson will be leaving. And a source tells PEOPLE Mariah Carey is in serious talks to take one of the judges’ spots.

[From People]

I know a lot of you disagree with me, but I still think this is one of the stupidest moves J.Lo has ever made for her career. It’s right up there with “marrying Marc Anthony and letting him bully her into firing half of her management team.” J.Lo was in the wilderness (career-wise) during her marriage to Marc. She wasn’t getting many movie offers and her albums were selling poorly. Idol changed all of that, and now she’s back on the A-list. And I think she seems unprofessional and ungrateful for leaving after only two seasons. It will be worse for her too if Idol producers reveal that Jennifer decided not to come back because she wanted even more money.

Photos courtesy of WENN, Casper Smart’s Twitter.

Earlier this week we heard that American Idol producers were looking for an entirely fresh new judging panel, with potential names being floated like Miley Cyrus, Adam Lambert and Katy Perry. It was assumed that Jennifer Lopez was out of consideration, either because she thought she was too big for the show (and her boytoy played hardball in negotiations) or because ratings were down and she was being asked to leave. In mid May, producer Nigel Lythgoe told TMZ that they did want Lopez back on the show. He also said that J.Lo was weighing her options, and seemed to suggest that the door was open to her. He added “It’s a business. She has to weigh everything. I know she’s gotten lots of offers to do movies and other things.” Well according to TMZ’s latest report, Lopez is still considering going back to her plush job on Idol. It’s all about whether she needs the job and her fat paycheck, and she’s going to play the waiting game with them. Read: she’s holding out for more cash. Here’s more:

Jennifer Lopez is telling friends … she HAS NOT made up her mind on her future with “American Idol” … and WILL NOT make a decision until after she finishes her current concert tour with Enrique Iglesias.

There are reports Jennifer has already informed producers she’s a no-go to return to the judge’s table next season … but sources close to J.Lo tell us the reports are absolutely not true.

We’re told Jennifer wants to “see where things are in her life” when the concert ends.

Translation: If Jen’s popularity is UP after the tour and she has more options, she’s more likely to bounce off the show. If she’s not … “Idol” ain’t a bad fallback gig.

It wouldn’t be the first time J.Lo waited ’til the last minute — last year, she held out until late August and finally gave in when producers agreed to fork over $20 mil for a 1-year deal.

[From TMZ]

The question is – if Lopez wants to come back will it be too late or not? They’re already talking about a whole new panel, and Lithgow has been joking about suggestions for stunt casting (including Charlie Sheen, but he’s surely not serious). Is Lopez going to be able to hold out for more money and is she worth it? TMZ claimed last month that she wants more than the $15 million that Britney is making for X Factor. It sounds outrageous to me.

Lopez is touring all over the US with Enrique Iglesias this summer and will move on to tour Europe for her Dance Again tour in the Fall. It’s hard to see where she’ll have the time to devote to Idol anyway.

Meanwhile Lopez keeps expanding her brand. She’s involved in a business venture with a website selling luxury t-shirts and she’s executive producing a one hour TV pilot for ABC family about a Latina lesbian couple with children.

These are photos you’re already seen of Lopez performing in Brazil on 6-27-12 and also on the beach with Casper and her kids on 6-25-12. Credit: PacificCoastNews

“American Idol” is preparing for the kickoff of Season 12 (already?), and E! Online has gathered wind of some internal buzzing from the “Idol” bosses that one or more of the current judges will be replaced. I think the general consensus (although there’s been no official word) is that Jennifer Lopez will not be back to host a third season, but there’s no telling whether she’s being pushed out or leaving of her own volition due to the infinite wisdom of Casper Smart. Here’s the word on potential new judges, which include Miley Cyrus, Will.I.Am. and (ugh) Katy Perry:

Spoiler Alert: The American Idol judges table could look very different this fall!

Sources confirm exclusively that along with Adam Lambert (a story we reported earlier today), Idol’s big bosses are also considering some other notable names to join the cast, including: Miley Cyrus, Nicki Minaj, Fergie, Katy Perry and (frequent A.I. mentor) Will.I.Am.

So how many new judges will there be? And who’s most likely to get the gig?

“No one has signed any contracts yet and producers are currently putting out feelers and setting up meetings to see who they can get,” one Idol insider tells me. “We won’t know if Randy [Jackson] and Steven [Tyler] are returning until they see who else is on board.”

According to sources, the American Idol higher-ups all agree they want Jennifer Lopez back, however, as we previously reported, the megastar isn’t planning to return. And while we are told Idol’s big bosses are fans of Randy and Steven, they also would like to breathe some new (possibly younger) life into the series to compete with “X Factor,” which recently cast Britney Spears and Demi Lovato.

It’s possible there may be more than one new AI judge this fall.

[From E! Online]

Here’s an excerpt from the earlier story that Adam Lambert is at the top of the list for hosting candidates as well. I know he’s kind of a famewhore, but the “Idol” audience adores him, and bringing him back full circle as host would be a great way to evoke some nostalgia while also catering to a younger crowd than, say, one that follows the likes of Steven Tyler:

The latest name to be floated around at Fox as a possible new judge is–get ready for it–Idol alum Adam Lambert!

“They have been talking about Adam for over a month,” a source exclusively tells E! News. “He personifies the show, and will be a popular choice right from the start. He knows what it’s like to be on the receiving end of the judges’ comments, he has a human touch, and they know they can’t go wrong if they bring him on. He would be able to bring a unique perspective to the show. People love him.”

[From E! Online]

Both stories seem to agree that it’s time for a changing of the guards, and it sounds like they’re looking to circumvent criticism that “Lopez, Tyler and Jackson haven’t been as harsh as past judging panels.” So basically, they’re looking for the “Idol” counterpart to Christina Aguilera. I think Miley could go there — and she could do so without fake tanner, a busted wig, clown makeup, and a nightly bottle of Jack Daniels.

As for Katy Perry, I doubt she’ll be “lowering” herself to such a gig unless her next album isn’t a hit. Nicki Minaj would be a nightmare in the wardrobe department. Fergie and Will.I.Am.? Who knows. But Miley would be perfect for the gig, and it would give her something else to do besides, you know, shag Liam Hemsworth and attend pilates classes.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and WENN

It’s kind of insane how Jennifer Lopez, one of the richest and most powerful women in show business (thanks in no small part to Idol) is jeopardizing her career with her new relationship. Her longterm manager, Benny Medina, even called her out on it publicly. Medina told Vogue a few weeks ago, in part, that she lets “obsessive guys pursue her” and that “The ease with which that obsession becomes a relationship I think sometimes works against her ability to have a real meaningful relationship.”

We’ve already heard that Lopez has pitched and sold a reality show for Casper to the Oxygen Network. We’ve also heard that Casper is giving Jennifer business advice, against the wishes of Medina and her other advisers, including telling her to ditch her plum Idol gig and focus on other endeavors. (Him.)

The National Enquirer, which has run several insider stories on this relationship, claims that Lopez went so far as to let Casper attend a meeting with Idol executives, which he f’ed up for her royally. It’s not a done deal that Lopez is off Idol, it still seems to be up in the air officially, although we’ve heard rumors for weeks about it. Casper might have just cost her the $10 million a year job that helped re-launch her flagging career. Here’s more:

J.Lo’s young lover acted like he was calling the shots for her when the “American Idol” judge recently met with Fox executives, sparking a battle with her manager Benny Medina, sources say.

“A bitter tug of war is going on between Casper and Benny over Jennifer’s business affairs, and it’s causing problems between her and Casper,” a source told The Enquirer.

“Casper would love for Jennifer to fire Benny and hire him as her business manager, but Jennifer is torn. While she loves Casper, she realizes Benny knows what’s best for her professionally.”

The 25 year-old dancer recently joined Jennifer, 42, and Benny in a private meeting with Fox bosses regarding “Idol,” said the source.

“The meeting was a disaster,” said the insider. “This 25 year-old Kid was telling executives that Jennifer did not Need ‘Idol,” that ‘Idol’ NEEDED her and ‘they’ were thinking about heading in a different career direction.

“Benny almost blew a gasket. After the meeting, he and Casper had a huge screaming match with Benny telling Casper that he’s nothing more than a gold-digging backup dancer.”

[From The National Enquirer, print edition, June 11, 2012]

Let’s imagine, for a moment, that Jennifer was just a mid-level manager at say, a tech company. (To use a sector I know.) Let’s say she was newly divorced and brought her new, cocky 25 year-old boyfriend in to a salary negotiation with her. The whole company would be talking about her and she’d probably lose her job. Maybe this is a bad comparison, since average office workers don’t have career managers, but you know where I’m trying to go with this. This is so stupid, unprofessional and insane. She’s paid millions of dollars to work on a television show and she already has a well established, well respected manager who knows the industry. She’s so idiotic in love that she’s mixing her lovelife with her career and massively ruining it. Just dumb. It makes me wonder how she got this far, when she’s making such obviously bad decisions.

These photos are from 5-26-12. Credit: WENN.com and FameFlynet

I should admit this at the beginning: I have never, ever watched an episode of American Idol. Ever. I’ll see a few minutes here and there, but quite honestly, I’m just not that into it. It’s not an elitism thing, I swear. I love TV. I just prefer scripted TV and PBS programming for the most part. Antiques Roadshow will always be more interesting to me than whatever “singing competition” show is popular right now.

I stated all of that to justify my lack of concentrated interest in this story: Jennifer Lopez is leaving American Idol after two years as a judge (it’s only been two years, right?). J.Lo’s career was faltering (at best) and at its lowest ebb (at worst) before Idol, and now that she’s found career rejuvenation, she’s quitting that bitch. Will you miss her?

Jennifer Lopez may have just been named by Forbes magazine today as the most powerful celebrity, but her reign at American Idol is coming to an end. While J.Lo has publicly said she has yet to make a decision about her future on Idol, sources exclusively tell me that she she’s planning on calling it quits.

“She’s just too busy,” one source said. That’s so very true.

She’s about to launch a mega concert tour with Enrique Iglesias that kicks off this summer in Latin America and the U.S. She plans to go worldwide in the fall. I’m told Lopez will be on the road, at the very least, through the end of the year. The next round of Idol auditions will begin while she’s overseas.

The superstar apparently wants to free up her schedule next year, possibly taking a little hiatus from work to be with her kids.

“It is just like any working mom’s dilemma,” Lopez told us at Monday’s premiere of What to Expect When You’re Expecting. “It’s tough. It’s a balancing act. You put them first and then you have all these other things that you have to do, that you have to give your time to as well, and you have to make sure that they’re OK in the process.”

Fox declined to comment on Lopez’s future with the show. Meanwhile, a source close to the production tells E! News that “Fox does not want to let her go. They love her.”

Lopez has been on Idol for two seasons with one-year contracts for both. Now the question is, will Fox try to change Lopez’s mind with a much bigger payday?

[From E! News]

Considering the story originated at E! news, home of everything Ryan Seacrest and Seacrest-adjacent, I’d be willing to bet it’s close to the truth. <em>Us Weekly is cosigning E!‘s report too – a source tells Us Weekly, “She regrets she can’t stay on the show. It’s been an incredible experience and she is forever grateful that she did it.” My question: is it rude/unprofessional/tacky to quit the reality show that gave your career a second act? I think it is. Especially since they’re paying her so, so much money (and Jennifer has expensive tastes). I wonder if Casper is encouraging her to quit, or if Jennifer feels like she has to choose between her lover and her career. Ugh. Typing that sentence made me nauseous. Whatever, peeps. You know LeAnn Rimes is totally going to try to get cast as Jennifer’s replacement.

CB reminded me that there’s been tabloid speculation for several weeks that Jennifer is being pushed out of AI because she hasn’t been delivering the ratings they were hoping for. At the Fox Upfronts, AI producers were also hinting at some “reconfigurations” for the show too. So maybe Jennifer was fired? Although… my gut says no.

By the way, the photos are Jennifer’s Mario Testino photo shoot for the June issue of Vogue. She’s modeling swimsuits. Sure. You can see the Vogue pictorial here.

More photos of Jennifer looking horrible at the What To Expect premiere a few days ago:

Photos courtesy of Mario Testino/Vogue and WENN.

On Sunday’s episode of “American” Idol, Jim Carrey’s 24 year-old daughter, Jane, was shown auditioning and being advanced to Hollywood week. Jane seemed genuine about pursuing a singing career on her own merits, but the show definitely played up the fact that she had a famous father. They showed photos of Jane with her dad and she shared what it was like growing up with him. She had a decent singing voice, but it’s doubtful that she would have been promoted to the second round just based on her talent alone. Well a new report on Radar online suggests that not only was Jane (perhaps unfairly) advanced, she wasn’t treated the same as all the other hopefuls either. She did have to camp out and wait in line at all and just made an appointment to sing and showed up.

Unlike the rest of the contestants who camp out for days in the hope of trying to convince the judges that they have what it takes, Jane got special treatment.

“She didn’t have to sleep outside and wait for hours hoping to audition like everyone else,” a source exclusively told RadarOnline.com. “She basically had an appointment and showed up!”

The source said they doubted if the judges knew about the special treatment Jane was given, but the show gave her the VIP service.

“Her audition was pre-arranged with the producers. She did not wait and line up for hours or days outside – she had a time, she showed up and went in,” the source said…

According to the source, the last name clearly helped this time: “American Idol always says they don’t give everyone favors, but this time they did for Jane.”

[From Radar Online]

I don’t really have an investment in this story, it just seems typical to me that Idol would do this for a celebrity’s daughter. If I had ever waited in line to be on that show, or if I had a good friend who had waited days for a chance to appear, I would be supremely pissed off. So many contestants are coming from extremely rough conditions and have to go through hardships and lose wages at hourly jobs just to get to Idol. The story this year of the girl who lived in a tent particularly touched me. Here we have a millionaire celebrity’s daughter who claims that she’s waitressed, but who, let’s face it, has probably never had to worry about money in her life. She gets whisked right in and moved on while so many other contestants don’t get that chance. As genuine and down to earth as Jane came across, she’s probably used to that type of treatment and doesn’t see anything wrong with it.

Here’s Jane’s audition if you missed it the first time: