(Access Hollywood) — Mariah Carey said in an interview this week that her time as a judge on “American Idol” was like “going to work every day in hell with Satan.”
The general assumption was that Mimi was referencing Nicki Minaj as the horned one (as the two very obviously did not get along), but Mariah’s husband, Nick Cannon, says the entire situation was devilish.
“I don’t think [her ‘Satan’ comment] was about the people on the panel. It’s about when someone tells you something and paints a picture one way, and then that’s not the case,” Nick – whose comedy special, “F#ck Nick Cannon,” will air on Saturday at 10 PM on Showtime – told Billy Bush and Kit Hoover on Friday’s Access Hollywood Live. “If she’s used to being treated a certain way and then you have a network that says, ‘No, we’re gonna do this,’ then…”
Billy brought up old rumors, which claimed Mariah initially signed on to join “Idol” with the understanding that she would be the only female on the judges’ panel, and was displeased when producers decided to add a fourth judge.
“[Mariah] was like, ‘You said it was going be this, and then it turned out to be this.’ From that point on, it was just bad,” Nick explained, admitting that his wife “hated” her time on the show.
Despite all of the zingers and thinly-veiled insults hurled back and forth between Mariah and Nicki, Nick maintained that the singer was more upset with the show situation itself than her rapper co-judge.
“I don’t think she was speaking directly about [Nicki]. I think she was talking about the situation in general. In her mind, it’s bigger than that,” he said. “If my wife wanted to [call Nicki Satan], she would’ve said that. She has no problem [saying] how she feels!
“She was talking about the situation in general,” he reiterated.
And in related “Idol” news, while Mariah may have been counting down the seconds ‘til her contract was up, new Season 13 judge Harry Connick Jr. seems to be loving his time on the Fox reality show so far.
“Hey @MariahCarey – must’ve been hard to judge in hell… @AmericanIdol XIII is heaven!” he Tweeted on Thursday night.
Adding, “Btw, I LOVE @MariahCarey !!! No hate for that sweet lady – I just feel bad that she didn’t have what we have – the best @AmericanIdol ever!”
Watch Access Hollywood weeknights at 7:30 p.m. following CBS 6 News at 7 p.m. with Bill Fitzgerald.
