With Jennifer Lopez returning to “American Idol,” the TV industry’s tittering over a novel about the show — written by an anonymous insider — that appears to dish on J.Lo’s diva behavior, as well as her rivalry with fellow judge Steven Tyler.
The book, “Elimination Night,” billed as a work of fiction, follows Lopez-like character Bibi Vasquez and a Tyler clone, Joey Lovecraft, on a show dubbed “Project Icon.” But a source tells us of the dishy tome, “75 percent of it is based on fact, and it was written by an ‘Idol’ insider.”
According to the book, Bibi, a Queens-born Latina singer, has a 78-page rider that includes, “Crew to be forbidden to make eye contact with Artist (and Manager) AT ALL TIMES,” and an insurance policy which values her breasts and buttocks at $100 million each.
Her manager, Teddy Midas (who a source says could be based on Benny Medina), “isn’t exactly known for his calm, rational demeanor. He’s a hysterical narcissist. What’s more, he has nothing to fear from being exposed as an Evil Diva From Hell.”
Bibi’s controlling husband, Edouard (Marc Anthony?), gives her signals during the auditions about which contestants on the show to pick while the hubby is “moving constantly around the set . . . relaying his yeses and nos via a system of casually handsome facial gestures.” The book also says, “She became noticeably distracted while peering beyond the set for her cues. It threw off the rhythm of the show completely.”
During another audition, Lovecraft tells a contestant: “That feelin’ in ma’ belly is the reason why I’ve sold enough records to put fifty million dollars worth of blow up my nose!” Tyler actually once said, “You could say I snorted half of Peru.”
Other characters who have readers guessing whether they’re based on real people are host Wayne Shoreline (Ryan Seacrest?), Leonard Brathwaite (Nigel Lythgoe?), JD Coolz (Randy Jackson?) and Nigel Crowther (Simon Cowell?). But, of course, the book disclaims, “Any similarity to any persons . . . is coincidental.”