Mark Davis/Getty ImagesAnother one bites the dust. Just a day after Steven Tyler confirmed that he was leaving American Idol after two seasons, Jennifer Lopez confirmed to Ryan Seacrest that she, too, would not be returning to the Fox reality juggernaut.
She's been hinting as much all week, so it's hardly the bombshell that the Aerosmith frontman dropped, but she nevertheless tearfully announced her departure on her former coworker's radio show this morning.
"Something had to give, something has to give," she began. "I was really dreading this phone call with you."
"I honestly feel the time has come that I have to get back to doing the other things that you do, and you have to pay attention to that, too. I could keep doing Idol for the rest of my life, but that would be giving up a bunch of other things. I feel like we had an amazing run."
Lopez has been a judge on the show for the past two seasons, and while she will no longer be a regular on the panel, she isn't cutting ties completely, telling Seacrest that she's leaving the door open and hinting that she wouldn't be averse to returning as a mentor.
"No matter what you guys need over there, I'm always going to be here," she said. "I feel there's that tie there. I just can't be there every day like I was for the last two years.
"It's just one of those special things in your life you don't want to walk away from," she added tearfully.
The emotions were clearly running high, and Seacrest offered her support while sharing his take on the situation.
"I'm sad as the host of the show and I'm sad as a friend of yours, but I understand you've got to do what's best for your family."