Paula Abdul’s place with American Idol remains dubious as the former pop princess continues to contribute somewhat negative comments about the show and its producers.

Rumors about Abdul have been rampant since before Season 7 expired earlier this year. After displaying serious confusion during a routine judging (she started to critique a second song performed by Jason Castro before the event actually occurred), the gossip circles started to spin. A survey was released by FOX which asked a series of questions about the hosts, a casting addition was surprisingly announced and a lot of turmoil entered Abdul’s personal life.

On top of this, Abdul is working on another reality project (Paula Abdul’s Rah Cheerleading Bowl - seriously that’s the name of the show) with MTV and a jewelry line she’s going to hock on QVC. When you compare these gigs to number one network show American Idol, it all sounds a little second-tier. When you compare it to Paula Abdul’s career prospects in the late 90s, it’s a huge success.

Rumors of substance abuse have surrounded the star for years, notably stemming from her work with Idol and her reality project Hey, Paula. This aired for seven totally wacky episodes. In one, the Forever Your Girl singer sniffs perfume samples and rolls around on the carpet. I am not making this up.

Somehow, I’m not so sure the producers would be sorry to see the backside of Ms. Abdul. A new female judge is set to sit at the table in the upcoming season, and one source close to show has been recently quoted as saying “Obviously, we have three other judges who can carry the show, and if she [Paula Abdul] leaves before the live shows, the auditions can be edited so that she’s hardly noticed.”

The words may seem a little harsh, but the sentiment is probably sincere. Even a star with Abdul’s fame isn’t going to derail TV’s reality darling, but somehow I don’t think the rumors are true. Paula Abdul is a publicity magnet - and there’s no flipping way FOX is giving that up without a fight.