Why Nicki Minaj And Mariah Carey Couldn't Stand Each Other On American Idol - The List (2024)

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ByBritt Hawes/Feb. 3, 2024 3:30 pm EST

You know what they say — great minds think alike. That doesn't mean they always get along, however. Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj are a prime example of this expression, with their time on "American Idol" being one of the most contentious we've seen on the televised singing competition. Every season, we watch new and returning judges appear on "American Idol" and bring a new dynamic, new skill, and new perspective to the show. Unfortunately, for Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey fans, the music artists' short-lived stint as two of the judges on Season 12 of the popular TV show will forever be known as the season that reined in tons of drama.

Famously, Carey stated during an interview with Hot 97 that working with the "Pink Friday" singer was like "going to work in hell with Satan." Yikes. While it's not the first time either of these celebs has been embroiled in a feud (Minaj also feuded with Cardi B), Minaj and Carey's televised duel takes the cake for being the most shocking celeb feud we've witnessed in a while.

According to one of their coworkers and videos captured during the intense "Idol" season, it seems like Minaj and Carey's larger-than-life personalities didn't quite mesh, and this made for some very memorable onscreen arguments. Without a doubt, the Queen of Christmas and the Queen of Rap just couldn't stand each other while filming "American Idol."

When it was announced that Nicki Minaj, Mariah Carey, and Keith Urban would be called in to replace Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler as judges for Season 12, Barbs and Mimi stans worldwide rejoiced. The excitement for the iconic artists to be on-air together was real, especially since the announcement was coming off the back of a successful collab between the songstresses. In 2010, just two years before their "Idol" run, Minaj and Carey partnered together on Carey's hit single "Up Out My Face." Unfortunately, it seems like these two strong personalities just didn't mix, because it wasn't all butterflies and Barbies when the performers crossed paths yet again on "American Idol."

The beef between Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey started before the show even really began to kick off. In a leaked TMZ video, things got heated when Minaj began yelling at Carey during "American Idol" auditions in Charlotte, North Carolina. "I told them I'm not f***ing putting up with her f***ing highness over there," Minaj was heard saying in the video, seeming to call Carey a dramatic diva. Carey quickly clapped back by calling Minaj a "crazy b****." Things may have only got worse off-camera. According to several sources with TMZ, Minaj also allegedly threatened Carey with physical violence before the cameras began rolling, but a rep with Minaj called those allegations undeniably false.

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For a taste of how much Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey didn't seem to like one another, just take a glance back through Season 12. In one wildepisode of "American Idol," the two powerhouse musicians got more than a little annoyed with each other. Carey was giving feedback to a performer, and Minaj was in visible disagreement with the "Touch My Body" vocalist's opinion. As Mariah continued to talk, Minaj couldn't help but tell Carey to "clean your ears out" repeatedly. The conversation quickly devolved into both judges trying to talk over the other one, while fellow "Idol" judges Keith Urban and Randy Jackson looked around uncomfortably.

Ryan Seacrest, former host of "American Idol," has a working theory for why Minaj and Carey declared a personal war on each other in their Season. Talking with NBC's Today Show, the famous television personality explained that it was clashing personalities that had these two at each other's throats all season. "Nicki and Mariah, two very different, strong, powerful successful women on the panel — there are not too many dull moments between the two of them," Seacrest explained to the cohosts of the Today Show (via Hollywood Reporter). Seacrest went on to note that everything was smoothed over by the end of the day and that the two feuding judges never went home feeling angry. Seacrest added, "They get along fine but they're strong and candid in their opinion."