How to Vote For Your Favorite American Idol Contestants In The Top 12 (2024)

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<p><em>American Idol</em> is one of the most beloved singing competitions on TV, so it’s no surprise that fans want to learn more about the judges’ personal lives. <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/soaps/news/714348/americas-got-talent-judges-dating/" target="_blank">Who are the <em>American Idol</em> judges dating and married to in real life</a>? Keep reading to learn about the stars’ romantic relationships and families at home.</p><p><a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/tag/american-idol/" target="_blank"><em>American Idol</em></a> is a popular singing competition that follows unknown artists from across the country competing for a recording contract and $250,000. The winner is determined by American viewers who can vote for their favorite artists. Created by Simon Fuller, the series originally ran for 15 seasons on FOX before it was canceled in 2016 and revived a few years later by ABC. Some of the biggest names in the music industry have come out of the show, including Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson, Chris Daughtry, Fantasia Barrino, and more.</p><p>Celebrity judges have rotated on the show over the years. Season 22 will see returning judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry, and Lionel Richie make their way back to the panel. However, his season will mark the last for Perry, who <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/soaps/news/717660/why-katy-perry-leaving-american-idol/#:~:text=2024%2C%C2%A0appearance%20on-,Jimmy%20Kimmel%20Live!,-.%20%E2%80%9CSo%20I%20think">announced she’s leaving</a> the show in February 2024. While Perry was unsure who would replace her, she told <em>Jimmy Kimmel Live! </em>the original trio (Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, and Paula Abdul) also had seven seasons together before the “Cold Hearted” singer left in 2009.</p><p>Read on to learn more about the romantic lives of your favorite <em>American Idol</em> judges.</p>

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<p>Pop singer Katy Perry joined as an <em>American Idol</em> judge when the show was rebooted in March 2018 on ABC. Perry is currently engaged to <em>Pirates of the Caribbean</em> actor Orlando Bloom. The couple met at the Golden Globes in 2016 and got engaged three years later in 2019. “It was very sweet,” Perry said about the engagement to Jimmy Kimmel, according to <em><a href="https://people.com/music/katy-perry-reveals-details-orlando-bloom-proposal/" target="_blank">People</a></em>. “It was Valentine’s Day … we went to dinner and I thought we were going to go see some art after dinner but we pulled up to a helicopter.”</p><p>Although the pair had to postpone their nuptials because of the COVID pandemic, in August 2020, Perry and Bloom became first-time parents when they welcomed their baby girl, Daisy Dove Bloom, into the world.</p>

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<p>Bryan also became a judge on <em>American Idol</em> for the ABC reboot in 2018. The country singer has been married to his wife, Caroline Bryan, for almost two decades. The couple met at Georgia Southern University and tied the knot in 2006. “Happy 17 years together love. I love you @linabryan3,” Bryan <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C0mWidXrOsM/?hl=en" target="_blank">captioned his reel</a> on Instagram, which is set to the track “(I’ve Had) the Time of My Life” by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes.</p><p>Luke and Caroline are the proud parents to their sons Tate (age 13) and Bo (age 15). In the singer’s <em>People’s</em> August 2023 <a href="https://people.com/luke-bryan-proud-of-his-climb-success-exclusive-7571501" target="_blank">cover story</a>, he gave fans an inside scoop on their family life. “Our house is full of a lot of energy and a lot of people coming in and out and friends and family. My wife’s brother and his two young children are in the pool every day, learning to swim,” he said. “My wife and I are always looking out the window going, ‘Whose vehicle is that driving through the farm?’”</p>

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<p>Luke Bryan and Perry, Lionel Richie also became an <em>American Idol</em> judge in 2018. The singer-songwriter and producer was formerly married to his high school sweetheart Brenda Harvey-Richie from 1975 to 1993, with whom he adopted his daughter, actress and fashion designer Nicole Richie. Richie remarried in 1995 to actress Diane Alexander. Their marriage lasted nine years, and the couple welcomed their kids, Sofia Richie and Miles Richie. However, Richie and Alexander’s marriage also ended in divorce in 2004.</p><p>The music vet is currently in a relationship with his longtime girlfriend, Lisa Parigi, who is 40 years his junior. “I’m a man who’s been through the ups and the downs, the ins and the outs of love,” Richie told <a href="https://people.com/music/lionel-richie-talks-girlfriend-lisa-parigi/" target="_blank"><em>People</em></a>, adding that he is still a “hopeless romantic.” As for Parigi, he said: “She’s extremely beautiful, but most importantly she’s smart and helps me deal with my crazy world.”</p>

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<p>As one of <em>American Idol’s</em> original judges, Simon Cowell was on the panel from seasons one through eight. The British record executive (who created the <em>Got Talent </em>franchise) has been with his now-fiancé Lauren Silverman since 2013. The couple share a 10-year-old son, Eric, and got engaged in December 2021. In an April 2022 interview with <em><a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/tv/18211470/simon-cowell-married-bored/">The Sun</a></em>, Cowell revealed that Eric was part of the reason why he proposed to Silverman.</p><p>“I’ve kind of felt myself engaged for a long time, if I’m really being honest,” he said. “Lockdown and COVID were probably make or break for many relationships. We were in the same house for over a year and I thought, ‘Well, actually, we get on really, really well.’” He continued, “And for Eric, as he gets older, he will be asked more and more about his parents, and I thought it was the right thing to do for him.”</p>

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<p>Singer and dancer Paula Abdul acted as an <em>American Idol</em> judge for seven years alongside Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson. The “Opposites Attract” singer’s first marriage was to actor Emilio Estevez (<em>The Breakfast Club, The Mighty Ducks</em>). The couple were married from 1992 until their divorce in 1994. Two years later, Abdul tied the knot with businessman Brad Beckerman in 1998, but their marriage lasted only 16 months.</p><p>The former<em>Idol</em> judge was last linked romantically to her on-again-off-again boyfriend, restaurateur JT Torregiani. The pair first started dating back in 2007. “She is more nurturing than most women I know, let alone women I have dated. She has such a big heart and even with her crazy work schedule, she always makes time for me,” Torregian said in an interview with <a href="https://okmagazine.com/news/ok-exclusive-jt-torregiani-gushes-about-girlfriend-paula-abdul/" target="_blank"><em>OK! Magazine</em></a> at the time. Abdul’s relationship with JT ended soon after, and he dated former <em>Dancing With the Stars</em> dancer Cheryl Burke. However, he and Paula reportedly started seeing each other again toward the end of 2020.</p>

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<p>Randy Jackson was a judge on <em>American Idol</em> from Season 1 until his exit after Season 12 in 2013. The music executive’s first marriage was to Elizabeth Jackson, but their relationship ended in 1990 (they have one daughter named Taylor).</p><p>Jackson’s second marriage to Erika Riker lasted 18 years, but their relationship also ended in divorce. In 2014, Riker filed to divorce the <em>American Idol</em> judge, citing “irreconcilable differences.” They share two children together: Zoe and Jordan. “Randy is bummed out,” a source told <a href="https://people.com/music/randy-jackson-settles-divorce-four-years-later-erika-riker/" target="_blank"><em>People</em></a> when their divorce was finalized. “It’s not the way he wanted it to happen or end.”</p><p>In 2019, Jackson stepped out with his <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-6608393/Randy-Jackson-62-makes-appearance-musician-girlfriend-Simone-27.html" target="_blank">reported</a> musician girlfriend, Simone, after finalizing his divorce from his ex-wife. It’s unknown whether Jackson and Simone are still seeing each other.</p>

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<p>Jennifer Lopez was a judge in the singing competition from Season 10 and Season 11, then again from Seasons 13 to 15. Lopez was previously married to Ojani Noa from 1997 to 1998, Cris Judd from 2001 to 2003 and Marc Anthony, with whom she shares twins Max and Emme, from 2004 to 2014. The pop icon was also engaged to Alex Rodriguez in 2019 before they ended their relationship in 2021.</p><p>J.Lo’s most recent marriage is with actor Ben Affleck (with whom she was previously engaged from 2002 to 2004). In May 2023, Affleck and Lopez started seeing each other, and <a href="https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/ben-affleck-jennifer-lopez-full-on-dating-after-reunion/" target="_blank"><em>Us Magazine</em></a> confirmed that the pair were back together. The couple became engaged for the second time in April 2022 and wed in July 2022 in Las Vegas.</p><p>The couple followed their Las Vegas nuptials with a three-day wedding at Affleck’s estate in Riceboro, Georgia. “The sun broke free and cast its rays like little diamonds dancing across the river behind the makeshift altar in our backyard,” Lopez recalled about her wedding day in her “On The J Lo” newsletter, per <a href="https://www.elle.com/uk/life-and-culture/culture/a40636562/jennifer-lopez-ben-affleck-wedding-las-vegas/"><em>Elle UK</em></a>. “’I started my walk down the stairs that would become the aisle that would lead me toward the rest of my life. Ahhhhh…it was actually happening…”</p>

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<p>Keith Urban judged <em>American Idol</em> from Seasons 12 to 15. He’s married to Australian actress Nicole Kidman. The beloved pair first met at a gala in 2005 and tied the knot the following year in a candlelit ceremony at St. Patrick’s Estate in Sydney, Australia. “She’s just the one,” Urban said on Dax Shepard’s podcast, <a href="https://armchairexpertpod.com/pods/keith-urban" target="_blank"><em>Armchair Expert</em></a>. “She’s the one that I was searching for my whole life, and everything not only changed but had to change in me if I was gonna go that road.” The pair have two daughters, Sunday Rose (age 15) and Faith (age 13).</p><p>In 2018, Kidman shared the secret of her and Keith’s long-lasting marriage. “I think it’s knowing that you have to keep contributing to what we call the ‘us.’ You go, ‘Does this work for us?’” the <em>Big Little Lies</em> actress told <a href="https://people.com/movies/nicole-kidman-reveals-secret-12-year-marriage-keith-urban/" target="_blank"><em>People</em></a> in 2018. “When you make an us, it’s yours together — that’s what you create. Nobody else has that. It’s just between the two of you.”</p>

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<p>Nicki Minaj was on the judging panel in Season 12 of <em>American Idol</em> alongside Mariah Carey, Keith Urban, and Randy Jackson. The rapper is married to Kenneth Petty; the pair met when they were students in high school but lost touch before reconnecting in 2018. The two welcomed their first child (nicknamed Papa Bear) nearly a year after they tied the knot in October 2019.</p><p>“He understands her as a person,” said Derrick Milano, Minaj’s friend and musician, to <a href="https://people.com/music/who-is-kenneth-petty-nicki-minaj-husband/#:~:text=Minaj%20and%20Petty%20wed%20in,told%20PEOPLE%20in%20October%202019." target="_blank"><em>People</em></a> in October 2019. “I think that’s what the connection really is with them — it’s that he really knows her. It’s a different type of connection. He’s not famous, he doesn’t want to be on Instagram. Like, that’s not his M.O. He’s really focused on her.”</p>

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<p>The Aerosmith singer was a judge of <em>American Idol</em> in Seasons 10 and 11. His first wife was model Cyrinda Foxe, whom he married in 1978 after kicking off with Aerosmith. The couple had their daughter, Mia Tyler, in 1978. Their marriage ended in 1987 (Cyrinda passed away from a brain tumor in 2002). Tyler was married again to Teresa Barrick in 1988 and had their daughter, Chelsea Tyler, one year after, as well as their son, Taj Tyler, in 1991. The couple divorced in 2005.</p><p>Tyler is currently dating his girlfriend, Aimee Preston, who is 39 years younger than the rock star. Preston started as his personal assistant in 2012, but they made their relationship official at Elton John’s AIDS Foundation Oscar viewing party in 2016. “I guess Mother Nature had other plans for us today…so ❤️ Happy Valentining ❤️ from us to you! @iamstevent,” Preston <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bt39Sf8hjSe/?hl=en" target="_blank">captioned</a> her Valentine’s Day post with the singer in 2019.</p>

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<p>Songwriter and music publisher Kara DioGuardi served as a judge of <em>American Idol</em> in Seasons 8 and 9 of the singing competition. DioGuardi started dating her husband Mike McCuddy, a teacher-turned-general contractor, in 2007 while he was working on a home near her property in Maine. The pair got engaged in December 2008 and married in July 2009 in Prospect Harbor, Maine.</p><p>The music exec and her husband had their son, Greyson James Carroll McCuddy, via surrogate in January 2013. The exciting news of their son’s birth followed years of miscarriages and failed IVF attempts. “She’s given us an incredible gift,” DioGuardi told <em><a href="https://people.com/parents/american-idol-kara-dioguardi-welcomes-son/" target="_blank">People</a></em>at the time.</p>

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<p>Comedian and talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres judged only one season of <em>American Idol</em> in 2010. DeGeneres is married to her longtime wife, Portia De Rossi. The pair tied the knot at their Beverly Hills estate in 2008 and celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary in August 2023.</p><p>Ellen penned a sweet tribute to her wife on Instagram. “To my wife of 15 years I fall more in love with you every day,” she <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CwApYg4rElL/" target="_blank">captioned the post</a>. “My life is blessed because you’re in it. Happy anniversary.” De Rossi also surprised DeGenerous with a vow renewal earlier this year; Brandi Carlile sang and Kris Jenner officiated the ceremony.</p>

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<p>Mariah Carey also served as a judge for only one season of the singing show, Season 12. The “All I Want For Christmas Is You” singer has been married twice. Her first husband was music executive Tommy Mottola. The pair married in 1993 when Carey was 23 years old, but split five years later.</p><p>She walked down the aisle again in 2008 when the pop star married actor and comedian Nick Cannon. Carey and Cannon welcomed twins Moroccan and Monroe in 2011 and separated in December 2014. Their divorce was finalized in 2016.</p><p>The <em>Butterfly </em>artist was last romantically linked to her ex-boyfriend Bryan Tanaka. Carey and Tanaka dated on and off for seven years before breaking up for good in December 2023. “Our decision to embark on different paths is mutual, and as we navigate these separate journeys, we do so with profound respect and an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the invaluable time we’ve shared,” Tanaka wrote via Instagram, according to <a href="https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/bryan-tanaka-confirms-split-from-mariah-carey-after-7-years/" target="_blank"><em>Us Weekly</em></a>. “The memories we’ve created and the artistic collaborations are etched in my heart forever.”</p>