Jennifer Lopez Once Named the ‘American Idol’ Judge That Made Her Want to Leave the Show
Jennifer Lopez once confided that many factors played a part in her needing to leave American Idol. Initially, one of those factors was losing her own teammate.
Jennifer Lopez felt losing this ‘American Idol’ judge would’ve changed the show
American Idol’s season 11 was shaping up to be a huge one back in 2010. Lopez went against her team’s advice to join the reality competition series as a judge. She’d be working with longtime Idol judge Randy Jackson and newcomer Steven Tyler on the show. Tyler had never worked with Lopez before, but he was excited about getting to know her. The Aerosmith singer was both aware and impressed by her prolific resume.
“I saw Jennifer in The Back-Up Plan, and I thought, ‘My God, she’s so real, and I want to be next to that,” Tyler once told Access Hollywood (via Digital Spy). “I love it when it’s that real.”
It seemed Lopez might’ve lived up to the hype for Tyler, who quickly bonded with the Hustlers actor.
“We are having a great time. Steven, Ryan, and Randy are awesome,” Lopez once said according to Slow Radio. “It’s like having brothers for the first time in my life. They are all very protective of me. We support each other, it’s a good unit.”
However, American Idol lost both Tyler and Lopez in season 12 after the two spent a couple of years on the show. Lopez credited her busy work schedule for having to exit the series. But in an interview with ABC News, she alluded that Tyler’s own departure might’ve also convinced her to take a break from Idol.
“We had magic,” Lopez said about Tyler. “I don’t know, with him gone, it might be a different formula.”
But Lopez gave some hope to her fans, as she didn’t rule out an American Idol return entirely.
“I love them and they love me and it’s hard when I feel like I should move on,” she said. “I don’t know that it’s even done yet. I don’t know. I feel like I’m moving on.”
“It got me back in touch with who I was, watching the contestants and singers,” she added. “That’s why it’s hard to walk away.”
Why ‘American Idol’ season 13 was the worst time for Jennifer Lopez to return to the show
Tyler permanently moved on from the show to fully commit to his iconic band Aerosmith. However, Lopez made a surprise return in season 13. The season saw Lopez team up with a new panel of hosts, including Harry Connick Jr. and Keith Urban. Her original co-judge, Jackson, departed the series after season 12.
For Lopez, it seemed she couldn’t have picked a worse time to rejoin the program. She seemed just as busy as she was the last time she was on, on top of her duties as a mother. But Lopez loved Idol so much that she couldn’t stay away.
“It was so hard for me to leave the first time; I went off and I did my tour and everything,” she once told On Air with Ryan Seacrest (via Entertainment Tonight). “To be honest, right now is the worst time for me to stop and do Idol. I’m doing two movies; my album’s coming out. I have like so much stuff going on, but honestly, I’m doing it because I want to. I love it and I’ve had such a good time with it.”
Although Lopez lost her original American Idol partners, she looked forward to working with a new team.
“I love working with everybody over there. I’m excited about the new guys — I met them, and we sat down and we had dinner and stuff. It’s always this special kind of experience, special journey,” she said.
