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.”

Simon’s Syco Entertainment will team up with Will and Jada Pinkett-Smith’s Overbrook Entertainment to produce a live, international show dedicated to find the world’s next biggest DJ.

“We have been working on this show for over a year and we wanted to partner with the right people,” Simon said in a statement. “DJs are the new rock stars, it feels like the right time to make this show.”

The new mother, full-time waitress and part-time singer was revealed as a contestant on the show on Sunday night when she took part in the San Diego, California auditions.

Carrey performed “Something to Talk About” in front of judges Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez and Randy Jackson who all voted her through to the next round of the competition.

Jane Carrey, 24, confessed, it has been hard growing-up as Jim Carrey’s daughter, stating, “It is difficult kind of growing-up in the shadow of something and trying to find your place in the world underneath this huge shadow.”

Jennifer Lopez was stunned when she discovered Jane was Jim Carrey’s daughter. Lopez was a dancer on the sketch comedy show, “In Living Color”, on which Jim was an up-and-coming comedian. Jane was a baby at the time.

Jennifer exclaimed, “I remember you when you were little. Do you remember me? I was one of the Fly Girls.”

Jane Carrey responded, “I think I was, like, two.”

It seems as though Studdard has poured all of his feelings about the divorce in a song on his new single, “June 28th (I’m Single).”

As far as his ex goes, Studdard said he will speak to her if they cross paths in the street, but he is definitely on the lookout for another woman to share his life with.

“June 28th (I’m Single)” is off of Studdard’s forthcoming album, “Letters from Birmingham,” which will be released March 11.

The two-hour premiere of Winfrey’s new series “Oprah’s Next Chapter” gave OWN its highest ratings for a Sunday premiere since the network’s January 2011 launch weekend, scoring 1.1 million total viewers.

Sunday night’s debut of the series, which aired from 9 to 11 p.m., featured Winfrey interviewing Aerosmith rocker-turned-”American Idol” judge Steven Tyler at his Lake Sunapee, N.H., residence.

To put Sunday night’s numbers in context, the “Oprah’s Next Chapter” premiere represented a 463 percent increase in the network’s target women 25-54 demographic over the network’s December 2011 average in that time period. Only the premiere of “Season 25: Oprah Behind the Scenes,” which aired on January 1, 2011, has scored better than the “Next Chapter” premiere, drawing 1.2 million total viewers.

Upcoming episodes of the interview series will find Winfrey touring Skywalker Ranch with “Star Wars” visionary George Lucas, taking part in a slumber party at celebrity cook Paula Deen’s estate in Georgia, and visiting Haiti with Sean Penn to survey how the nation is faring since the devastating 2010 earthquake.

Reportedly, Seacrest, 36, is a “possible successor” for Lauer, 53, and met with executives behind the show on Tuesday.

Although the talks are “preliminary” and “could fall apart any time,” Seacrest – who also co-hosts E! News, his own radio show and produces the Kardashian clan’s reality shows, among other gigs – is “one of NBC’s top replacement choices,” according to the Journal.

Lauer’s contract with The Today Show expires in December 2012; he remained on the smash series after co-host Meredith Vieira departed in June, replaced by former news reader Ann Curry.

“We’re going to get married,” Jennifer explained at Sunday’s American Music Awards

“I know they said we had broken up. We’ve never broken up,” Hudson, 30, said of David, 31, who she’s been engaged to since September 2008.

According to Jennifer, distance is to blame for their nuptials being put on hold.

“We’re still here, but we’re very busy people. He’s always on the road, I’m always on the road,” she explained. “We are together, we just do it at home in Chicago. That’s our meeting place.”

When Jennifer does walk down the aisle, it will be in her hometown.

“Our wedding will be at home in Chicago, with family,” she said.

As for the recent wave of celebrity breakups and divorces, Jennifer said she feels every relationship takes work – famous or not.

“At the end of the day, we’re all human and we all have our relationship issues and our human issues. I think because of celebrity, it’s more magnified. We’re people, too,” she told Tim. “We’re all people and they’re just going through people things, it’s just magnified.”

Studdard has filed for divorce from his wife. Ruben and Surata Zuri McCants married in 2008

An American Idol champion, Ruben Studdard reportedly cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the divorce, according to papers filed in Alabama.

The couple has no kids.

Ruben Studdard admitted being embroiled in tax problems to the tune of $200,000 right after their wedding.

Surata and Ruben met in October 2006, when Studdard was signing CDs at an Atlanta Walmart. Attracted to McCants, Studdard followed her to the store’s toy department and asked for her phone number.

“I was just so infuriated that somebody said you couldn’t have a little extra meat on you — because I was by no means fat!” Lopez says. “That was so mean and closed-minded. I was like: ‘No, this is who I am and this is the type of woman that I grew up with and it’s beautiful. There’s no reason to be anybody but myself.’”

That manager became her former manager after that.

And although Lopez, 42, is fine with her weight and shape, she’s not opposed to a little plastic surgery should she feel the need in the future.

“I’m open to being open,” Lopez says. “I’m not going to make a judgment on it because I don’t have to yet.”

Yesterday morning, Tyler phoned in to the Today show, where Matt Lauer cut right to the chase: fall in the shower or fall off the wagon?

Thankfully, it was the former—and only the former—though the 63-year-old willing to acknowledge the bizarre, head-scratching nature of the accident.

“I get that people think that,” he said of the speculation. “It still bothers me a little, but it’s something that I have to deal with for the rest of my life.

“Being in the program, it’s something we have to expect. People thinking that is natural and normal. We flew last night from Paraguay after that incident and we’re in Argentina for two hours. And anyone who knows anyone who uses substances wouldn’t be up at this hour having a talk with Matt Lauer and the rest of America.

“It’s nothing I don’t understand. It makes me a little upset. But people think that.”

Though that seems perfectly clear to us, apparently Lauer was looking for a definitive yes or no and wasn’t going to let up until he got it: “So you’re clean and sober? That’s not the issue?”

“No, it’s not the issue,” Tyler said.

The rocker, who joked that the fall was his version of “Montezuma’s revenge,” resulted in four stitches to the eye, some reparative plastic surgery and two dental implants, all of which were done at the same “one-stop shop” hospital referred to his manager by the U.S. Embassy.

“Frankly, I just passed out,” he explained of what, if not a relapse, led to his injuries. “I was in the shower and I got nauseous and I started to get sick and I just fell on my face. I just passed out and woke up with the water on.”

Ever the consummate pro, he was also back on the road within days—something he said his fans have come to expect.

“Short of having my legs taken off, people are going to expect me on stage no matter what,” he said. “It’s all about playing to the people. We rocked out. Not only did I break my face, but we broke a house record, so life is beautiful, Matt.”