Paula Abdul negotiating a return to ‘Idol’

Courtney Hazlett The Scoop

Now that the “Dancing With the Stars” cast has been announced, and Paula Abdul’s name is not on the list, negotiations between Abdul and Fox for her return to “American Idol” have become more intense.

“The people at the very top of ABC were really vocal about getting her on board for ‘Dancing,’” said a source familiar with the talks with Abdul. “By not exactly keeping it secret, it made Paula’s value more apparent to Fox.”

The negotiations are ongoing, but calling them “talks” could be more appropriate, since dubbing them “negotiations” suggests that one side is budging.

“Paula isn’t lowering her price in any meaningful way. She wants a Seacrest-level deal,” said the source. “Idol” host Ryan Seacrest reportedly signed a three-year deal with the show worth a total of $45 million.

If there is a scenario that gets Abdul back on the show, it's likely that her return would be limited to the live shows only, according to several people who are close to the talks. This will allow the original offer made by the show to stand, but Abdul would have a shorter time commitment.

As far as ABC is concerned, executives are disappointed they couldn’t sign Abdul to “Dancing With the Stars.”

“They actually really needed her as that big name,” said person who had direct knowledge of the talks. “They didn’t really want Tom DeLay as their most-buzzed-about contestant.”

Jackson family close to a TV deal
Michael Jackson’s memorial might not be the last time the late singer's family comes together. Despite serious rifts between family members, the Jacksons are close to agreeing to sit down for a multi-part television special, according to a family member.

Michael’s mother Katherine and sister Rebbie are the ones at the helm of the decision-making process, and in addition to participating in the special, they'd reportedly offer up home movies.

One person who is decidedly not a part of the negotiations is brother Jermaine Jackson.

“Everyone is furious with him, everything he’s done since Michael died is motivated by his desire to revive his career,” said a family friend. “He didn’t even tell the family about that big Vienna tribute — which is falling apart now — they heard about it when everyone else did. Everyone is angry with him.”

Amanda Seyfried, Hollywood’s most normal actress
As if her fresh-faced performances in “Big Love” and “Mamma Mia!” weren’t enough to make you love Amanda Seyfried, take a look at her interview in the September issue of Allure magazine.

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She has a clear stance on the state of Hollywood, saying “Hollywood is just like high school: The popular people love the other popular people. And the thing is, some people aren’t nice. Or they are nice, but only to your face, not elsewhere.”

What’s even more candid about the interview is her discussion of her SAT scores, which led to her being rejected from nearly every school she applied to except New York City's Fordham University.

“(My SAT scores) were 1090, and my friends were getting 1300’s on their SATs,” Seyfried tells the magazine.

She ended up going to Fordham — for one day. It all turned out well though, she found out right after she left that she landed a role in “Mean Girls.”

Courtney Hazlett delivers the Scoop Monday through Friday on msnbc.com. Follow Scoop on Twitter: @ courtneyatmsnbc.

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