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"Pinata" Paula Abdul Explains Odd Behavior

American Idol judge Paula Abdul is getting used to defending her behavior, which has been a favorite topic for Idol lovers and haters alike. Most recently, Abdul was seen behaving strangely during a series of televised interviews promoting the new season of Idol, which is continuing its crushing dominance in the Neilsen ratings (averaging 37.3 million viewers during its two-hour season premiere, the highest rating of its kind in Fox's history).

After Abdul's rather incoherent interviews, speculation heated up -- again -- that the onetime pop star was battling addiction or substance abuse. Even fellow judge Randy Jackson suggested in one episode last season (albeit jokingly...maybe) that Paula had been hitting the sauce after she made an incomprehensible comment to a contestant.

"I've never been drunk," Abdul responded over the weekend. "I'm not under the influence of anything."

She was quick to offer another explanation: technical difficulties. She said that a glitch left her speaking to one station while receiving audio from another, thus appearing to be marooned on her own planet.

"When I was watching it myself [later], I'm going, 'Oh, God, oh my God,'" Abdul said. "That was a mistake I had nothing to do with. I didn't know I had two studios in my ear. I wish it were a better story, but that's it."

She also blamed fatigue, and implied that she was treated more unfairly by viewers and critics than fellow judges Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson.

"I'm the only female," she said. "I'm the empathetic one. I'm the artist. I'm the piñata."

--The ARTISTdirect Staff
01.23.07