The Web was buzzing Friday with reports suggesting that Randy Jackson, the only remaining original "American Idol" judge, will follow Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler away from the judges table.
A report at www.tmz.com called Jackson's exit "official," but said he would still be part of the show by mentoring the contestants. Meanwhile, a story at www.eonline.com played it safer, saying only that Jackson's future is "still up in the air" and adding that his role would not be decided until the rest of the judges are in place.
So far, only Mariah Carey has officially signed on for the 12th season of the show, which begins in January. But several names have been thrown into the rumor mill as possible judges. Among them: Kevin Jonas, Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, Kanye West and Enrique Iglesias.
TMZ has been reporting that Nicki Minaj's deal to be a judge is 99% done, and it reported Friday that Keith Urban is in "final negotiation stages" to fill the third judging slot.
Simon to the rescue
In other "American Idol" news, former judge Simon Cowell, known for his bluntness and lack of sentimentality, displayed a softer side Wednesday.
According to a report at www.gossipcop.com, the "X Factor" judge and his former girlfriend, Sinitta, heard a distress call from a sinking boat while sailing in St. Tropez.
"35ft boat sinking. Simon has sent us to help and rescue 9 people on board!," Sinitta tweeted during the incident.
"Everyone ok, no one hurt. Captain won't let boat sink ...," she continued.
Rimes sues Twitter followers
It's been a busy week for LeAnn Rimes.
The country singer celebrated her 30th birthday Tuesday, entered treatment for anxiety and stress Wednesday and filed a lawsuit against two of her Twitter followers Thursday.
According to www.usmagazine.com, Rimes is accusing Kimberly and Lexi Smiley of recording an Aug. 19 phone conversation without the singer's consent. Excerpts from this conversation hit the Web on Thursday and, according to Rimes's attorney Larry Stein, "caused her emotional distress."
Stein said his client has been a victim of cyber bullying and said that the Smileys -- who reportedly are fans of Brandi Granville, ex-wife of Rimes' husband, Eddie Cibrian -- have been "merciless" and "vitriolic in their attacks."
In response to the lawsuit, Kimberly Smiley, a California teacher, told Radar Online, "I'm the one who is being bullied." She said she planned to take legal action against Rimes.
Briefly
• Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott welcomed another child Thursday. The boy, Finn Davey, joins siblings Jack, 13, McDermott's son from his first marriage to Mary Jo Eustace; Liam, 5; Stella, 4, and Hattie, 10 months.
• Country singer Miranda Lambert has sold a show to NBC. The detective dramedy about parents of teenagers who work together as private investigators is based on Lambert's childhood in Texas. The Grammy winner will produce the project.
• Robin Williams is in discussions to return to television to star in a David E. Kelley project on CBS. "The Crazy Ones," a single-camera comedy, would be the Oscar winner's second television series. He made a name for himself in the sitcom "Mork and Mindy," which ran from 1978 to 1982.
• A dispute over the will of Sherman Hemsley, who died in July, is keeping the actor from being buried. The former sitcom star named his "beloved partner" Flora Enchinton, 56, as the sole beneficiary of his estate, but a man in Philadelphia who says he's Hemsley's brother is contesting the will, saying he believes it might not have been made by Hemsley. The actor's body is being kept at an El Paso, Texas, funeral home until a court determines whether the will is valid.
COMPILED BY ANGELA LOPEZ, FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
More Details: Fast takes
1. Robin Roberts’ mother dies
Lucimarian Roberts, mother of “Good Morning America†cohost Robin Roberts, died Thursday in Mississippi at the age of 88. According to WABC-TV, she was the first African-American woman to head the state’s board of education.
2. Van Halen delays dates
Van Halen has been forced to postpone its fall tour of Japan as a result of emergency surgery Eddie Van Halen underwent for the intestinal condition diverticulitis. The band says on its website that it looks forward to playing for fans in 2013.
3. Bad heart killed Stallone
Sage Stallone, 36, son of Sylvester Stallone, left, died of heart disease, the Los Angeles County Coroner announced Thursday. A drug overdose or suicide were rumored to be the cause of death, but a toxicology report revealed only a low level of the narcotic hydrocodone.
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