Simon Cowell has made it clear many times over that he doesn’t want to do American Idol without Paula Abdul, and her ongoing and up-and-down contract negotiations with the show have been well-publicized. So…is she really, really leaving, or is this just another tactic to get more money?

Reports are surfacing that Abdul is still very much a part of the Idol auditions this year, and many believe that rumors of her departure are just another tool to get what she wants from producers.

One Tweet says that “Abdul has already signed her new deal with Idol. The whole sob story of not getting a deal was a pure publicity stunt,” this from Bonnie Fuller, who used to be with HollywoodLife. FOX reps also aren’t responding for comment on the Abdul issue.

Ryan Seacrest, however, says it’s “not a publicity stunt.” But I think it remains to be seen. If American Idol hires someone new, we’ll know the truth of the matter.