Paula Abdul Says Working With Simon Cowell On ‘Idol’ Left Her ‘Permanently Damaged’ After Settling Harassment Lawsuit With Producer

Baila Eve ZismanMay 8, 2025, 7:44 pmNews >

Paula Abdul revealed that the years she spent co-judging with Simon Cowell on American Idol left her “permanently damaged.”

Abdul was a judge on the singing competition show from its inception in 2002 through 2009, alongside Cowell and music executive Randy Jackson.

“Being the only woman on the panel, I had to overcome the guy on the left of me,” she told Fox News. “Starts with an ’S’ and ends with ‘imon’. The left side of my brain is permanently damaged with a British accent. But no big deal because at least I had Randy to the right of me.”

Abdul recently reached a settlement against Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe for sexual harassment.

Abdul went on to praise American Idol’s current female judge, Carrie Underwood, declaring, “Carrie has an unbelievable advantage, having come from her humble beginning of being on the show…she was such a magnificent artist, as a contestant, and she’s gone on to have the most stellar career. She comes back, and she’s giving back as well. She’s doing a great job.”

Underwood won American Idol’s fourth season in 2005, where she received a rare gush of praise from Cowell, who declared, “Carrie, you’re not just the girl to beat…I will make a prediction. Not only will you win this show, you will sell more records than any other previous Idol winner.”

In a previous interview with Entertainment Weekly, Abdul revealed that on her first day on the judge’s panel, she quit the job eight times. “I felt terrible for those kids. I would try to maintain composure in the midst of absurdity, and they were completely delusional, like brilliantly delusional.”

She went on, “But there was never a shortage of really incredible voices and raw talent. We were always able to find it, and that’s what was so exciting.”

Underwood, Lionel Ritchie and Luke Bryan are the present judges of American Idol, now in its 23rd season.