On July 30th, it sounded like a DONE DEAL that Jennifer Lopez would replace Ellen DeGeneres on “American Idol”.

Since then, we’ve run the gamut:

She’s in . . . maybe she’s not in . . . she’s in again . . . no one is in . . . she’s in, but her contract is still being negotiated . . . she’s out because she’s SUCH A DIVA . . . she’s not a diva, and she’s still under consideration . . . and on and on and on.

It’s been like reporting off a MOOD RING everyday.

And today, the mood is . . . GOOD. If you like J-Lo as a judge, that is.

TMZ is now in Week Five of covering . . . whatever this is . . . and they’re reporting that Jennifer’s “Idol” deal is, quote, “imminent.”

Supposedly, she’s in the “final stages” of negotiations . . . and it’s “all but a done deal” . . . and that unless there’s a “last-minute snag,” the deal could be closed by early next week.

And, for the record, a source says she has NOT been a diva . . . quote, “It’s been typical negotiating.” (–”American Idol” will likely officially announce all their judges sometime next week.)

Officially, “American Idol” is expected to announce its judges for next season sometime soon after Labor Day weekend. But unofficially, it sounds like everything we’ve heard over the past few weeks may not be as final as it has seemed.

That’s because “Idol” executive producer Nigel Lythgoe is apparently STILL hoping to land Elton John to anchor the panel.

Nigel tells Deadline.com, quote, “I must say, I really do love Elton John. He’s a huge favorite of mine.” However, he did add that Elton’s stacked schedule is, quote, “always the problem.”

But Nigel did suggest that something could happen IF Elton was willing to work with them. He said, quote, “It depends on whether [he] wants to give back.”

But just to be clear, nothing between Elton and “Idol” is coming together yet. Just a few weeks ago, Elton’s publicist told Deadline.com, quote, “There’s more chance of me (effing) you than Elton being on ‘Idol’.” (!!!)

In another interview . . . when asked about the status of rumored judges Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez . . . Nigel said, quote, “All the seats are open.”

But that’s not supposed to be a comment on Randy Jackson, who IS signed through next season . . . because Nigel later clarified, quote, “Randy’s still there.”

And in yet another interview, Nigel said, quote, “[All] negotiations are still ongoing . . . the candidates for judges, they have other commitments [we'll have to work around].”

VH1 was able to capitalize on Fantasia Barrino’s heartbreak and sorrow by slapping together a “Behind the Music” special that airs tonight. (–Bonus for Fantasia: Her new album, “Back to Me”, also drops today.)

Fantasia comes clean about her suicide attempt . . . and admits that’s exactly what it was.

She says, quote, “I didn’t have any fight in me. I didn’t care about anything. I just wanted out. At that moment, I wanted out. I wanted it to be over with . . . all of it, all of that (crap).”

She adds, quote, “I just sat in the closet and looked at the mirror and took all the pills in the bottle. I wanted to go to sleep and just be at peace. I knew exactly what I was doing. You can’t accidentally take a whole bottle of pills.”

Obviously, the drama with her married boyfriend, Antwaun Cook, and his wife Paula helped push Fantasia over the edge. But there were some other factors. Read more…

Did Kara DioGuardi Ask To Be Dropped From “American Idol” Two Months Ago?

Maybe Kara didn’t get fired from “American Idol” after all.

E! Online is reporting that Kara did NOT want to return to “Idol” for another season. A so-called “source” says, quote, “She went to Fox two months ago and told them she didn’t want to do another season. She’s ready to move on.”

The rumor that Kara had been fired began last month . . . just after Ellen DeGeneres announced that she was quitting “Idol”.

From what we’ve heard, Kara was working off a year-to-year contract, which had not been renewed for the upcoming season. If Fox declined to pick it up, we thought that meant she was being FIRED, since we assumed she wanted to return.

But there’s another angle to this. It’s possible that Kara saw the writing on the wall, and tried to “quit” in an effort to avoid being strung along for the entire summer . . . kind of like what is happening now anyway.

The source adds, quote, “It’s frustrating. […] She can’t even take any meetings. Everyone wants to know what her schedule will be like, but she doesn’t know. What happens if Fox tells her they still want her for next season?”

Instead, he’s acting like nothing is set in stone yet. In a radio interview yesterday . . . (–with Ryan Seacrest) . . . Nigel said, quote, “I can tell you . . . absolutely nothing while negotiations are going on.”

However, he did confirm rumors that an official announcement is coming just after Labor Day weekend. He said that a decision on the final panel will be made, quote, “within the next three weeks.”

If you’re like me, you completely forgot that Lee DeWyze won the last season of “American Idol”. But if you’re not like me . . . and miss watching Lee sing on your TV every week . . . you might be interested in this:

Lee’s debut album, which is still untitled, has been set for a November 16th release.

Last month MIKE FISHER told the “Ottawa Sun” that he and CARRIE UNDERWOOD would start off their married life together living in his house in Ottawa, Canada. And after his hockey career ends, they’ll move to Nashville.

Well, the “National Enquirer” would like you to believe that Carrie is NOT down with that plan. A source told the “Enquirer”, quote, “Carrie and Mike are experiencing a post-wedding comedown. Reality is starting to set in, and it isn’t pretty.

“Mike is demanding that Carrie make good on her promise to move to Ottawa (but) now Carrie is backtracking and refusing to leave her adopted hometown of Nashville.” Things supposedly came to a head this week.
Read more…

Before you read this, I think Jennifer Lopez is a damn good choice for American Idol judge. She’s talented, funny, and has heart. But here’s the story…

Technically, we still don’t know . . . for sure . . . if J-LO will be an “American Idol” judge, but now that it seems like she WILL be . . . there’s talk that she was NOT on the top of the producers’ list.

In fact, she might not have been Plan B . . . Plan C . . . or Plan G.

A so-called “source” tells PopEater.com that the producers tried to land a SUPERSTAR first . . . like Elton John or Barry Manilow.

The source says, quote, “It became clear that neither Elton nor Barry was ready to stop doing what they did best, writing and performing.

“Plus, they are international legends. They certainly don’t want their legacy to be [as] the guy that replaced Simon Cowell on ‘Idol’.”

Eventually, the producers moved on to artists that were . . . well, not at the height of their careers. But even then, Jessica Simpson had the inside track on the job.

But the source explains, quote, “This was definitely Jessica’s to lose and that’s exactly what her dad [slash] manager did. Once it became clear it was going to be impossible to negotiate a deal with Joe [Simpson], J.Lo was snapped up.”