Nicki Minaj Shares How Much She’d Have to Be Paid to Return to ‘American Idol’
Photo by Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic Reading Time: 2 minutes
Nicki Minaj was recently a guest on Watch What Happens Live, where she was asked what it would take to get her to return to American Idol. Minaj was a judge on the show in Season 12, alongside Mariah Carey.
Nicki Minaj Talks About Potential American Idol Return
During a round of “Plead the Fifth,” host Andy Cohen asked Minaj, “How much money would it take for you to be a judge on American Idol again?” The last time the rapper appeared on the show was 10 years ago, in 2013.
In response to Cohen’s question, Minaj thought for a moment and then said simply, “Thirty.” Cohen clarified that she meant $30 million. As the host said, “She knows her price. I like it.”
Minaj reportedly made $12 million for her original judging gig on the show, so her suggested amount would be quite the step up. Current judge Katy Perry reportedly makes $25 million for her role on the panel, although she has hinted that’s not quite accurate.
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Minaj Made Headlines for Mariah Carey Feud
Minaj and Carey were judges during Season 12 of American Idol alongside Randy Jackson and Keith Urban. The two women made headlines for their alleged feud, including reports before the season even began airing.
In an interview with Ellen DeGeneres at the time, Minaj said she felt “the shade” from Carey when they started working together, so she “overcompensated by being crazier.” Carey, meanwhile, called her time on the show “the worst experience of my life.”
“I’m not going to get into what it was. Let’s just say, I don’t think they had any intentions of us having a good experience through that show,” Carey said. “Pitting two females against each other wasn’t cool.”
