Nick Cannon's not sure if 'Idol' can afford Mariah

Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez departing series

Author: By Tomika Anderson, Special to CNN
Published On: Jul 17 2012 01:08:04 PM EDT   Updated On: Jul 17 2012 02:09:29 PM EDT
Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon on red carpet
(CNN) -

There have been rumblings that Mariah Carey is in consideration to be an "American Idol" judge, but her husband Nick Cannon has hinted that producers would need to write a hefty check if they wanted her to come on the show.

And, Cannon recently told TMZ, he's not sure if the TV singing competition can pay for that.

"I don't know if they can afford Mariah Carey. That's a lot of money," Cannon said.

He also brought up Jennifer Lopez's whispered "Idol" salary, saying, "If they gave J. Lo $20 million, they might have to double that!"

Lopez, of course, hasn't stuck around at the judges' table. The actress and singer announced last Friday that she was departing the series, one day after her fellow judge Steven Tyler revealed that he's doing the same.

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