Jennifer Lopez is leaving “American Idol.” After two seasons on the hit show, the singer-actress has decided to call it quits.
“I honestly feel like the time has come that I have to get back to doing the other things that I do, that I put on hold because I love ‘Idol’ so much,” the 42-year-old superstar told Ryan Seacrest on his KIIS FM radio show. “I could do ‘Idol’ for the rest of my life, but that would be giving up a bunch of other things. We had an amazing run.”
Lopez, who will kick off her North American tour with Enrique Iglesias on Saturday, wants to get back to focusing on movies, music, and her family.
“I have my movies and my music and my this and my that,” she continued. “It all kind of worked together for a while, but then it gets more complicated. As the kids are getting a little bigger, it started feeling like it was a lot. Something has to give. And that’s, I think, where I am right now.”
Fellow judge Steven Tyler also announced his departure from the Fox singing competition on Thursday, and there is speculation that veteran Randy Jackson will be leaving after 11 seasons.
J.Lo’s fellow diva Mariah Carey is in negotiations to take a seat at the judges’ table.
“She’s in play,” sources tell PEOPLE. “They are in serious talks.”
Would you like to see Mariah as a judge on “Idol”? Sound off below.