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Singer/Reality TV judge Paula Abdul may have been given the X Factor axe Monday, but Abdul isn’t placing blame on her longtime colleague Simon Cowell.

Although Deadline reports Abdul – along with X Factor host Steve Jones and fellow mentor Nicole Scherzinger – was nixed when producers were “cleaning house” and didn’t leave on her own, the reality TV veteran respects Cowell’s decision.

“I’ve learned through my longevity in this industry that business decisions often times override personal considerations,” Abdul revealed in a statement Tuesday, hours after a FOX rep confirmed Abdul, Scherzinger and Jones would not be returning for season 2.

While fans may be surprised, Abdul knew her departure from the series was looming.

“Simon and I have been communicating about this for a while now, and I have absolute understanding of the situation,” her statement further explained, calling her time on the series “a blessing.”

Cowell stated he and Abdul will work with his former American Idol colleague again soon.

“I want to say a massive thank you to Paula, Nicole and Steve for being part of The X Factor last year,” Cowell said Tuesday. “You do develop friendships with the people you work with and Paula, in particular, is a very close friend and I expect to be working with her on another project in the near future.

Cowell, who created the series and brought it to the United Stares after incredible success in the U.K. said, “I’m sure all three are going to have massive success in what they do next, but now is the time to thank them all for everything they did last year.”