American Idol | Entertainment News, Photos, and Videos

American Idol Season 22 premieres February 18, 2024 on ABC (find out who’s back as a judge!), and we’re excited to see who will be the next American Idol.

Ever since launching the career of Kelly Clarkson all the way back in 2002, the long-running singing competition series has resulted in successful, lucrative runs for several contestants on the show – and many of the biggest names weren’t even necessarily the winners!

Since their seasons, so many contestants have released hit singles and albums, won awards, and made transitions into film and TV work, as well as racking up big endorsement deals and launching successful side ventures.

We took a look back through the years and rounded up the most wealthy American Idol alums based on the data online, and ranked them from lowest to highest.

Scroll through to find out which American Idol stars have the highest net worth…

One of Nigel Lythgoe‘s old interviews is resurfacing after Paula Abdul accused him of sexual assault and harassment.

If you were unaware, the 61-year-old “Cold Hearted” pop star and American Idol alum sued the 74-year-old TV producer and accused him of sexual assault and verbal abuse while they worked together on American Idol.

The pair also worked together as judges on So You Think You Can Dance, and a joint interview they gave promoting the show in 2015 has resurfaced following her allegations.

Read more about the problematic resurfaced interview…More Here! »

Paula Abdul is suing Nigel Lythgoe for sexual assault and harassment.

On Friday (December 29), the 61-year-old singer and former American Idol judge filed a lawsuit against the 74-year-old TV producer and head of competition shows such as American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance, per The Blast.

Keep reading to find out more…More Here! »

Fantasia Barrino had a very honest conversation about her life after she was introduced to fame on American Idol.

The 39-year-old The Color Purple actress won the third season of the popular singing contest in 2004.

However, in a recent interview, she explained that she might have won the show but she proceeded to lose everything else as she battled personal and professional struggles. With the benefit of distance, Fantasia explained what she learned from her earliest brush with fame.

Read more about Fantasia Barrino’s struggles and what she learned from them…More Here! »

American Idol is one of the most beloved competition shows on TV today.

The singing series, which kicked off as Pop Idol in the U.K. before launching in America in 2012, has successfully sprung up all around the world with a bunch of international versions, boasting major superstars for judges.

After airing on Fox from 2002 to 2016 for 15 seasons, it was on hiatus for two years until 2018, when a revival of the series began on ABC, and it’s aired ever since.

Over the years, plenty of talent has judged and mentored the contestants all the way to the top. And one by one, all of them have eventually left the show to go on and do other things – even the last remaining original judge from the U.S. series.

We’ve rounded up all of the judges who have since departed from American Idol, along with the explanations they’ve given for why they left the show.

Scroll through to see every judge who left American Idol and why…

Nicki Minaj is speaking on a potential return to American Idol!

The 41-year-old rapper was a judge on season 12 of the singing competition. She appeared alongside Mariah Carey, Keith Urban, and Randy Jackson.

Nicki‘s time on American Idol was notably rocky, as the “Anaconda” songstress had a tense relationship with Mariah.

Keep reading to find out what Nicki said about returning to the show…More Here! »

While most people who make it far on American Idol are having the time of their lives, others have decided to leave the show in the middle of the competition for various reasons.

One singer said recently said she was quitting as she wanted to go home to her kids and she didn’t think she was going to win anyways. Another singer said she didn’t think she was able to give 100 percent, so she decided to just leave the show.

There are 11 other former contestants who have quit the show or were removed by producers, including one that made it all the way to the final five.

Head inside to see who else quit the show… More Here! »