Paula Abdul’s Behavior Draws ‘Hurtful’ Scrutiny

The New York Daily News reports sources close ‘American Idol’ dismissed an Us Weekly report that angry producers were looking to replace Paula Abdul with Britney Spears or Jessica Simpson, and also nixed the possibility that Spears or Simpson could appear on the show as a guest. As for comments about Abdul’s behavior on the show this season, her spokeswoman Michelle Bega complained that constant battering on the message boards and speculation in the press is “harmful and hurtful to an individual such as Paula who is nothing but a lovely and talented woman who is just doing her job.”