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Paula Abdul says her reason for walking away from American Idol wasn't all about the Benjamins -- it was about being a survivor!
"I had to stand on my principle," Paula told TV Guide in a new interview. "I'm going to miss the experience of watching young talent evolve into a place where they get to take off and soar."
"I stand on principle where many people stand on money," she says of her decision to leave her post on the Idol panel. "I'm a hard-working artist. I've lasted in this business for 23 years. And you can't do that unless you are good at what you do."
"I believe in myself and you have to have your own self respect," Paula added. "And sometimes decisions are very difficult to make, but I've always believed that at the core I'm a survivor. There's not one thing I've done that I've really set my mind to that I've failed at."
As for what's on the horizon for Paula, who will forever be our girl, the singer/dancer says she'd like to gab!
"I definitely want to do a talk show because it would be different," she says. "It would be a lot of fun variety with a ton of unexpected stuff and tributes to everyday people getting their big chance."
Would you watch a Paula talk show? And do you really think her quitting the show wasn't about the paycheck?
