Did Paula Abdul Really Have An Affair With An American Idol Contestant?
Paula Abdul's incredible career has involved being a professional dancer, singer, and an "American Idol" judge, per IMDb. It was on "American Idol" that Abdul would assess contestants one-by-one on their singing abilities alongside two other judges, Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson.
Abdul and Cowell had a particular tension between them that left fans wondering if the two were an item. The professional dancer was able to handle Cowell's sarcastic remarks and would throw them right back. Even after years had passed, people wondered if the two were ever more than co-workers. In 2019, Abdul addressed the speculation after she was asked if she and Cowell hooked up on "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen." Abdul exclaimed, "Oh, uh...no! No! I mean, ew! No!" At the time, Abdul had already been divorced twice, per Distractify. While many believed the dancer was with Cowell, that wasn't Abdul's only alleged romantic relationship behind the scenes of "American Idol."
Abdul was on the show for an incredible eight seasons and saw plenty of talent walk through the doors. Throughout each season, all the judges developed a connection with the contestants in a professional, coaching sense. However, one contestant alleged that he and Abdul's connection went beyond just a mentorship. Former contestant Corey Clark claimed that he had an affair with Abdul behind the scenes, per Hollywood Life.
Corey Clark claims he had an affair with Paula Abdul
There were a lot of dramatic moments on the hit television show, "American Idol," but none were as scandalous as what allegedly happened off-screen. In 2003, Corey Clark auditioned for Season 2 of the show and even made it to the top six contestants, per the Daily Mail. However, Clark was removed after producers discovered he had a criminal history.
Things got more complicated for the former contestant after E! Television Network released a special about Paula Abdul, which mentioned the incident that occurred with Clark, per Hollywood Life. Clark was upset with how they portrayed him in the special and decided to sue the network. In a deposition for the lawsuit, the former contestant spoke about his alleged affair with Abdul. The "American Idol" contestant claimed he and the judge had "doggy-style," oral, and unprotected sex. Hollywood Life reports that this isn't the first time the contestant has claimed he had an affair with Abdul. The judge had previously denied the relationship.
Clark wasn't shy about sharing his opinion toward Abdul in the deposition, either. According to the Daily Mail, the former contestant compared Abdul to Harriet Tubman. He believed that Abdul was "helping people she wasn't supposed to be helping." Upset with the way "E! True Hollywood Story" depicted his relationship with Abdul as a lie, he continued with the lawsuit. According to the Daily Mail, Clark believed the special "damaged his reputation, character, and integrity."
Corey Clark has had multiple run-is with the law
Corey Clark's alleged affair with Paula Abdul on "American Idol" wasn't the only time the contestant had to come face-to-face with the law.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, in 2012, Clark decided to sue the MTV network over comments about his departure from the singing competition show. The outlet reports that the MTV reporter talked about his previous "hairy domestic disputes" as well as battery charges he had previously faced, which in turn got Clark removed from the television show. Unfortunately, for Clark, his defamation lawsuit didn't go the way he would have liked. In 2014, the judge sided with MTV and shared what the network had said was "comments upon or characterization of published facts," per The Hollywood Reporter.
A year after the defamation lawsuit, Clark found himself in trouble once again after he was arrested for domestic violence and aggravated assault, per the Daily Mail. Clark, however, revealed the reasons he was never charged with the arrest. According to the outlet, the former contestant shared on Twitter, "The facts are I was subjected to a false arrest and illegal incarceration up to 6 days without EVER being charged & was released." Clark also shared how the Yuma police department, which arrested him, allegedly had close ties to his "estranged wife's father." The former "Idol" hopeful finished off by saying, "Researching the record and facts reflect this. I was never charged because I never did the things that were published about me."