On American Idol, Paula Abdul is remembered as a fun and charming judge, so it's no surprise that fans want to know what happened to the star after she left the series. Before becoming a staple on the early American Idol seasons, Abdul was known as a singer, dancer, and choreographer. Starting out her career as a cheerleader for the LA Lakers, Abdul later met The Jackson 5 and began choreographing Janet Jackson's music videos. By the early 1990s, Abdul was regarded as a successful pop star, and even received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1991.
Ten years later, American Idol premiered in 2002 with Abdul, Simon Cowell, and Randy Jackson as judges. With the help of viewers at home who vote for their favorite singers, AI has shot several winners to fame over the years. Examples include Kelly Clarkson (season 1), Carrie Underwood (season 4), Jordin Sparks (season 6), Phillip Phillips (season 11), and Candice Glover (season 12). While AI's Simon became renowned for his stoic demeanor and harsh criticism, Paula and Randy were more relaxed as judges. In particular, Abdul frequently made audiences laugh with her quirky personality and kindhearted wisdom. Following years of success with the show, Abdul eventually left after season 8, after failing to negotiate a new contract.
After quitting the American Idol judging panel in 2009, Abdul continued to appear on several reality programs. In 2011, Abdul was the lead judge and executive producer of the short-lived dance competition, Live To Dance, which CBS canceled after its first season. Abdul then judged The X Factor season 1 in the United States (alongside Cowell, L.A. Reid, and Nicole Scherzinger) before being replaced by Demi Lovato for season 2. After judging stints on the American and Australian versions of So You Think You Can Dance, Abdul guest-starred as a judge on RuPaul's Drag Race season 6 in 2014. Most recently, Abdul joined Ashley Tisdale, Ken Jeong, Brian Austin Green, and host Craig Robinson as a judge on The Masked Dancer, and the first season of that show aired from December 2020 to February 2021.
In addition to finding her niche as a judge, Abdul has performed several musical tours since quitting American Idol. In 2017, Abdul joined boybands New Kids On The Block and Boyz II Men on the two-month Total Package Tour, which was her first tour in over 20 years. After headlining her solo tour Straight Up Paula! in 2018, Abdul announced her first Las Vegas residency, Paula Abdul: Forever Your Girl, in 2019. According to Abdul's official website, the 59-year-old has also guest-starred on popular shows like Lip Sync Battle and The Late Late Show With James Corden.
Paula Abdul briefly returned as a guest judge for American Idol season 19 after Luke Bryan contracted COVID-19, and Abdul and Jackson are slated to return once again for a special reunion episode. While Abdul's motherly persona has been missed by longtime fans, American Idol season 20 has been one of the most dramatic yet. Between fan-favorite Kenedi Anderson dropping out of the competition and the disappointing elimination of Tristen Gressett, only 10 singers remain, and the winning title is anyone's game.
American Idol airs Sundays and Mondays at 8 p. EST on ABC.
Sources: Paula Abdul/Instagram, Paula Abdul