Getty Images
.

Jennifer Lopez will not be returning to American Idol next season. According to The Wrap, Fox elected to dump Lopez from the show after she asked for her salary to be knocked up from $15 to $17 million.
.

As previously reported, Fox also chose not to continue fellow judge Stephen Tyler’s contract so it officially looks like there are a few judges chairs open for season 12. Tyler revealed his departure yesterday, saying he wanted to devote his time to his band Aerosmith. Now Lopez has announced her departure, citing other aspects of her career as well as her children as her reasons for leaving. But it looks like it was actually Fox’s decision to send her packing.
.

Rumors have been flying for weeks that Fox is planning to enlist an entirely new panel of judges, tossing around names like Katy Perry and Adam Lambert for the running. Judge Randy Jackson, who has been with Idol since the beginning, has not yet confirmed his departure, but it seems imminent at this point. An insider told The Wrap that “top Fox executives Peter Rice and Kevin Reilly want to revamp the show, and that Rice has told colleagues he wants an ‘Idol 2.0,’ of which host Ryan Seacrest would be the only essential ingredient.”
.

The Wrap says that Mariah Carey, Kanye West, Mary J. Blige and Lenny Kravitz are in consideration for the open slots. We say: Hire Kanye West right now, Idol! That would be the best choice that show ever made. But that’s just our opinion. Who do you think should judge American Idol? Are you happy or sad that Lopez and Tyler have officially called it quits? Tell us in the comments.
.