Jennifer Lopez says it took her time to commit to reprising her role as a judge for American Idol's current eleventh season, not because of money or leverage, but because she was simply "exhausted."
"Last year was a tough year for me and towards the end, I got really tired. Live TV, honestly, I don't know how you do it for so many hours everyday," Lopez told anchor Matt Lauer during a Monday morning appearance on NBC's Today show.
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"It was a whole new thing for me. And by the end of it, I was really exhausted because I wasn't just doing that. I think if I was just doing that, it would have been easier. But that, coupled with everything else I have on my plate, I was just like, "Ugh, I don't know if I can do this!"
When asked directly whether money or leverage played a role in her delay in committing to rejoining fellow judges Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson on Idol's judging panel, she insisted it absolutely did not.
"No, no! (Laughs) No, no, no," Lopez said, adding that she had been given the option to walk away from the show but ultimately rejected the idea.
"Yeah, I could have. I could have, but I really do love the show! I love the show and I do have a good time doing it."
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Also during the interview, Lopez told Lauer she's not sure whether she'd like to get married again following her recent split from husband Marc Anthony.
"I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. We'll see. I mean, I don't know," Lopez said.
Lauer continued to push the topic and asked the singer and actress point blank whether she believed she would marry again, but Lopez dodged the question.
"It's not time to think about that yet, do you know what I mean?" Lopez replied. "It's still fresh."
Fox had officially announced in August 2011 that Lopez would be returning for Idol's eleventh edition, which is currently airing. The Idol judge had initially said in June 2011 she was on the fence about whether to return to the show, leading to months of speculation regarding her career motives.
Lopez reportedly acknowledged her hesitancy was in part due to issues in her personal life -- including the July 2011 announcement that she and Anthony were splitting -- ending their seven-year marriage.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski