Nicki Minaj Wasn’t Allowed To Perform On ‘Idol’ Finale [Video]

Nicki Minaj was mysteriously absent from the American Idol stage during the Season 12 finale, and though we know that she apparently wasn’t allowed to perform, Minaj played it off as a contract thing in a recent interview.

Speaking to On The Red Carpet, Minaj said:

“I had already committed to Billboard Awards to perform my single so I wasn’t allowed to perform it on Idol and perform it on Billboard.”

The song she is referring to is her new single “High School,” which she’ll perform at Sunday’s 2013 Billboard Music Awards.

Minaj also added that she wasn’t allowed to debut the music video on Idol even though former judges have done so on the competition show. The video was deemed “too risque” by show producers, according to Minaj.

During the Season 12 finale, all of the American Idol judges took to the stage except for Minaj. Keith Urban, Mariah Carey, Randy Jackson and even Jennifer Lopez performed, with Minaj strangely absent.

The finale slight caused some in the media to speculate that Minaj was being pushed out of American Idol a bit early, and that the decision to block her from performing or debuting music seemingly confirmed insider reports that she is, in fact, not returning for Season 13.

Judge Randy Jackson is also leaving the show after 12 years, leaving new judges Mariah Carey and Keith Urban, for now.

Minaj also said that she thinks America made the right choice with Candice Glover, but insisted that all of the top five were very talented.

“To be completely honest, I think all five of our girls in the Top 5, I think that they all are going to have big careers if they want it. But Candice deserved to win,” she said.

Do you think Nicki Minaj should return to American Idol next season?

[Image via: Helga Esteb / Shutterstock]