Paula Abdul Offering An American Idol Contestant A Drink Turned Into A Complete Nightmare

Summary

Rhonetta Johnson's memorable bad audition on American Idol, targeting Paula Abdul.
Danny Noriega and Adam Lambert experienced mistreatment due to their perceived identities on the show.
Katrina Darrell's bikini audition led to a humiliating experience for judge Kara DioGuardi.

American Idol has been on the air for a long time and attracts millions of viewers. Those viewers once tuned in to see the magical chemistry between judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson. They tuned in to see extremely talented singers achieve their dreams. They also tuned in to laugh at the comedy of truly awful auditions.

Over the years, American Idol has highlighted some bad auditions that have always been used for comedic purposes.

One such contestant was Rhonetta Johnson, who auditioned in the show's fifth season. However, while her bad singing was noticeable, it was her rant at the end that became the most memorable. Johnson seemed to aim much of her anger at Abdul, who seemed offended by Johnson during the audition.

Rhonetta Johnson Talked Badly About Paula Abdul After She Bombed Her Audition

In 2006, Rhonetta Johnson appeared on the fifth season of American Idol when her audition aired. Johnson was very confident in her ability to become the next big pop star. She wore an over-the-top outfit and seemed to enjoy drawing attention to herself.

Prior to her audition, Johnson spoke with host Ryan Seacrest about her goals. She revealed that she believed her talent would put her on the same level as artists like Jennifer Lopez and Mariah Carey. Then, it was time for Johnson to head into the audition and meet the judges.

At first, Johnson awkwardly tried to fool the judges by singing Britney Spears' "Oops!...I Did It Again." After singing the line, "I'm not that innocent," Paula Abdul replied, "I believe you are."

After admitting she was nervous, Abdul tried to reassure Johnson by saying, "There's nothing to be nervous about."

Abdul then read a fact about Johnson from her notes, "It says that you think you can be bigger than J.Lo and Janet."

Simon Cowell then had a crack at her weight, saying, "Well, in a way she is."

Johnson then attempted to sing, but stopped very quickly and asked if she could sing something else.

It was then that Abdul offered Johnson some of her water, which she turned down. Abdul looked away and appeared offended, before saying, "Any time you're ready." Her tone sounded annoyed and increasingly impatient.

Johnson then tried to sing some more, but only managed to get out a few lines. By now, Abdul's face was being covered by her own hand in embarrassment. All the judges, including Abdul, voted not to send Johnson to Hollywood.

After leaving the audition, Johnson spoke badly about all the judges, mostly Abdul.

"Paula Abdul ain't got s*** on me," Johnson said. "I don't know who she was staring her nose up to."

She went on, "I bet you if me and Paula Abdul went outside, nobody would even know she was a celebrity, but they would think I was a celebrity!"

Johnson also took offense to Abdul offering her water during the audition.

"You think I'm gonna drink off you?" Johnson said. "I know you're a celebrity, or whatever. You might got more money than me, but I'm not putting my lips on s*** of yours. You can drink off me. Bow down b****."

'American Idol' Has A History Of Highlighting Bad Auditions And Treating Contestants Badly

Danny Noriega was a former American Idol contestant who competed in the show's seventh season. They did so well that they were placed in the semi-finals. During the competition, Simon Cowell referred to one of Noriega's performances as "grotesque." The remark brought Noriega to tears and was just one example of something Adam Lambert saw as a recurring issue on the show.

"Up until my season, anytime someone came on the show that was perceived to be gay or it was obvious enough that they were gay, they were a joke; They were made fun of," Lambert said in an interview with NME. "Simon would make fun of them."

Noriega didn't let Cowell's comments stop them, however. They kept singing and eventually became known as drag queen Adore Delano. Lambert said that he felt a similar mistreatment by Cowell because of his identity while on the show.

During his audition, Lambert sang Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody." The performance was cut off by Cowell simply saying, "Okay." Paula Abdul told Lambert he was a "great singer."

Cowell, on the other hand, wasn't so impressed. "I'm going to give you my opinion for what it's worth," he began. "I think you are... theatrical." Cowell didn't mean it as a compliment.

During Lambert's run in the season, Cowell warmed up to Lambert.

"Over the entire season, you’ve been one of the best, most original contestants we’ve ever had on the show," Cowell told Lambert during the season finale. "The hope and whole idea of a show like this is to find a worldwide star, and I truly believe we’ve found that in you."

Lambert also said that the two are on much better terms today.

"I did the finale the year before last, and it was the first time I had seen him in 10 years. He was sweet. He said, 'Good to see you — good job,'" he said. "He sort of wised up on that angle and he realized quickly that is not acceptable anymore."

In 2004, William Hung's audition for American Idol aired on television. During the audition, Hung sang Ricky Martin's hit "She Bangs." The performance featured Hung's unique dance moves and he had the judges cracking up laughing.

All the judges, that is, except for Simon Cowell. Cowell wasn't too kind to Hung and made his opinions on his performance known.

"I mean, everything about it was grotesque," Cowell said. "You can’t dance; you can’t sing; what do you want me to say?"

Hung responded, "I already gave my best, and I have no regrets at all."

In 2020, Hung gave an interview to Variety to celebrate the 20th anniversary of "She Bangs," the song that made him famous.

Hung said that his understanding of the judges' roles on the show helped him not to take their reactions personally.

"The way I saw the judges, I felt like they were just playing their roles. So that’s why I didn’t feel the need to be angry or upset," Hung said.

In Addition To The Contestants, One Particular Judge Has Confessed To Feeling Embarrassed By The Show

While American Idol is sometimes known for highlighting bad singers, it is also known for other humorous stunts. These stunts have made the audition process more entertaining to viewers and got several laughs in the process.

One of these stunts involved a young woman named Katrina Darrell, who auditioned for the show in a bikini. After singing Mariah Carey's "Vision of Love," she argued with judge Kara DioGuardi over her talent as a singer. Dubbed "Bikini Girl," Darrell became a memorable part of the show's eighth season.

This led her to return for the American Idol season finale, where she once again sang "Vision of Love." DioGuardi joined her on stage for what seemed like an impromptu sing-off. The performance ended with DioGuardi revealing a bikini of her own underneath her outfit.

Years later, DioGuardi reflected on the incident in her memoir "A Helluva High Note," where she made it clear that she wasn't happy with what transpired.

"I truly wanted to be cooperative," DioGuardi wrote. "But what they were asking me to do seemed above and beyond the call of duty. I couldn't sleep or eat...When we wrapped, I went back to my trailer outside the Nokia Theater and bawled uncontrollably for 20 minutes...I had gone from the heights of success to the depths of humiliation."

DioGuardi has written and produced a number of pop hits for the likes of Ricky Martin, Kelly Clarkson, Gwen Stefani, Miley Cyrus, and future Idol runner-up Adam Lambert. However, she claimed that the show's producers didn't adequately explain her industry credentials to viewers.

She claimed this is one of the reasons she decided to leave the show, according to Reuters.

"I think [the audience] didn't quite understand my role," she said. "Some thought I was there to take over Paula's role and they didn't understand that I was in the music business. When I first got the job, I said, 'Why do you need a fourth judge?' It was completely puzzling to me. I can only imagine what it was like for the American people."