How 'Idol,' Abdul parted ways

LOS ANGELES — Paula Abdul's departure from "American Idol" was the product of months of calculation: financial and logistical on the part of the show's producers and its network, Fox, and entrepreneurial and retaliatory on the part of Abdul, who in recent months has grown increasingly certain that greater opportunities lie elsewhere.

Abdul's announcement last week that she would not return to "American Idol" after eight seasons produced an array of reactions, most of which focused on her career prospects. Most assumed that she would be unlikely to find a job as lucrative and as prominent.

One week later, however, Abdul was already being courted by two other networks, ABC and NBC, as well as the producer of another Fox hit, "So You Think You Can Dance." While her future is anything but certain, the notion that Abdul had nowhere else to go has quickly proved suspect.

But Abdul's departure leaves bitter feelings on both sides. Her determination to wring greater compensation from Fox and the "Idol" producers was borne of a feeling that they had undermined and disrespected her for years, according to people close to her who were part of the negotiations. They said that she believed that the failure by her "Idol" colleagues to rebut sufficiently insinuations and jokes about her unreliability and possible substance abuse cost her lucrative endorsements.

One member of the "Idol" team, meanwhile, said that while Abdul had clearly contributed to the program's success, the costs and benefits of her histrionics were quantifiable enough that "Idol" could afford to draw a line in the sand and not cross it.

Abdul did not respond to requests for comment made through her manager, David Sonenberg, who has represented her since the end of June. On her Twitter feed, which she used to announce her decision to depart "Idol," she said on Monday that her week is "filled with network meetings" about potential projects.

"Paula didn't place as much importance on remaining on the show as some other people did," said a person close to Abdul who, like several people interviewed for this article who were involved in the negotiations, spoke on the condition of anonymity to preserve relationships on both sides. "She thinks there are a lot of opportunities out there for her, and she will be fine without that show."

One of the show's producers, 19 Entertainment, disclosed this week that Fox was in negotiations with Simon Cowell to extend his "Idol" contract by two additional years beyond the coming season. Cowell, who now makes upward of $30 million a year from his "Idol" contract, is believed to be seeking a substantial raise.