Those who enjoyed the new judging panel on “American Idol” this year need not sound the panic alarm yet–sources say Jennifer Lopez is close to signing for next season.
While Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson had already been locked into season eleven of the FOX reality juggernaut, Lopez’ status remained up in the air. Multiple sources presumed that the singer-actress, whose celebrity hardly shrank during the “Idol” season, was looking for a sizable raise from her estimated $12 million salary for this past season.
The Wall Street Journal, however, credits people “familiar with the talks” for insight that the parties are close on a deal for next season.
Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler, by way of his quirky one-liners, became an instant hit during the audition phase of the tenth “American Idol” season. Once the live competition started, however, Lopez’ enthusiasm and poise shined through, and she was viewed as the star of the panel for much of the season.
The debut season was not flawless, however. Lopez received flack late in the season for what fans and critics perceived as a bias against Haley Reinhart. Some who had initially praised the panel as a significant improvement from that of previous seasons in fact reversed their stances when the Reinhart controversy developed.