Mariah Carey secured the American Idol payday that Jennifer Lopez couldn’t!

Update: It’s official! Mariah Carey signs on to be the first American Idol judge. She released a statement saying, “As a singer, songwriter and producer, it’s going to be fun and rewarding to help find new talent and give back with American Idol .”

Whatcha think about the new edition?

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Earlier TH5 reported that her husband Nick Cannon said last week that Idol couldn’t afford her because she would need double of J.Lo’s salary but she’s settling for a lot less than that. Mariah is reportedly finalizing a one year deal with Idol for $17mil.

Last year it was rumored that Jennifer Lopez pulled in $20mil, but some say that she only got $15mil and was pushing for $17 to stay on for another season. If that’s true, then the Mariah Carey deal is a big slap in the face to both J.Lo and Simon Cowell, since she turned down the X-Factor gig and snagged the payday that Jennifer couldn’t.