American Idol

As we previously reported, Tyler is expected to fill the spot -- along with Randy Jackson and Jennifer Lopez -- once the deals are finalized.

In the police report, filed yesterday and obtained by TMZ -- Benardo claims he's received "numerous phone calls and emails from restricted and blocked numbers threatening his life."

Benardo tells TMZ, he's been getting 5-10 threatening phone calls an hour -- from people threatening to slit his throat and calling him "the biggest embarrassment to our country" and a "cancer to the world."

According to Benardo, one caller even said he "can't wait for him to die of AIDS."

Ellen just tweeted, "Dim the lights ... I've voted myself off American Idol."

Ellen claims she came to her decision, "a couple months ago" -- and admits, "It was hard for me to judge people and sometimes hurt their feelings."

She concludes, "I am very grateful for the year I had. I am a huge fan of the show and will continue to be."

We're told "Idol" is expected to make an official announcement regarding the judge situation sometime around the beginning of September.

TMZ ran into Ian Benardo in New York where he also berated a "bum" for asking him for directions -- before continuing to preach about how words can be hurtful.

Among the allegations included in a legal document filed yesterday with the NY State Equal Employment Opportunity Commission -- Benardo claims Dane Cook personally threatened him after the 2010 live show ... and one of the show's producers told Benardo that Dane wanted to "shove this mic up your ass but you would like it."

But in the docs, Benardo claims the problems started way back in 2006 when he first auditioned for the show -- when producers "exploited ... my sexual orientation" by instructing Benardo to "gay it up."

Benardo claims when he was invited back for the 2010 finale, producers gave him similar instructions ... asking him to be "outrageous" and "gay" -- and that's why he pulled the mic-stealing stunt with Dane.

In the docs, Benardo claims Dane and Dane's manager flipped out -- and "Idol" producers warned Benardo that he was "not safe" and had to leave the building ASAP.

Benardo claims as a result of his experiences with "Idol" -- he's suffered emotional injuries and loss of employment opportunities .. and he wants $300 mil to make things right.

Calls to "American Idol" and Dane Cook have not been returned.

"American Idol" band members are suing the hand that feeds them because, according to legal docs obtained by TMZ, they're being grossly underfed.

In a federal lawsuit filed Friday, the American Federation of Musicians claims American Idol Productions made a deal with the band on the show which makes the tunes the whole world sings -- a deal that prohibits "Idol" from cutting the band out of downloads and ringtones of the music played on the show.

Short story ... Since the 4th season "Idol" honchos have been "selling digitally-encoded audio files containing those soundtracks." The suit claims some of the audio files were sold as songs and some as ringtones.

According to the suit, "Idol" execs never got permission from the musicians to make the sale, in violation of the union agreement..

Back before he won "American Idol" -- Lee DeWyze flirted with the dark side ... in fact, dude covered a song by Marilyn Manson.

DeWyze's old record label has just released Lee's rendition of Manson's hit "Beautiful People" -- roughly one year after Lee recorded it back in Chicago.

While the cover ain't half bad -- we're told the song never made the cut on any of Lee's old albums.

Right before Bret played the classic "Every Rose Has Its Thorn," he told the crowd, "I can't say this is true yet, cause I don't know. Next year they asked me to possibly be the judge on 'American Idol.'" Very vague, but still ...

As for the rest of the show, one audience member told us, "I figured he'd be wobbly and sitting on a stool. But he was energetic, running around the stage with his guitar. It was like when I saw Poison years ago. It was a awesome show."

UPDATE: A source close to Bret tells TMZ Bret is "in the running to replace Simon" but that nothing is close to being done yet. A rep for FOX says they are not commenting on any speculation regarding Simon's replacement. Stay tuned ...

Janet was amazing on Wednesday's "Idol" -- performing "Again," "Nothing," and "Nasty." We're told as of today a concert tour is now on the front burner.

A TMZ user named April made the suggestion on Thursday's TMZ Live -- and when we got to thinkin' ... it made perfect sense.

Seacrest knows the show -- he knows the music -- and he has a great rapport with the rest of the judges.

Plus, it would be way easier to plug in a new host than force another awkward, unfamiliar person to sit at the judges' table .... we're talkin' about you Kara.

So we gotta ask ...

TMZ has learned ... one of the key players who made "American ldol" a success was so pissed last night after the show, he chewed out "A.I." producers backstage.

Rickey Minor -- who has been the bandleader for 6 seasons -- is leaving A.I. to head up Jay Leno's band on "The Tonight Show."

Minor was fit to be tied after no one thanked him or wished him well -- hell, they didn't even acknowledge him during last night's finale.

Our "A.I." spies tell us ... when the show was over Minor went off on producers, angrily telling them how insulted he was by their silent dis.

Minor refused to go backstage for the champagne afterparty. But producers pleaded with him and then got Randy Jackson to try and smooth it over with an unprepared speech.

Minor then said a few words but we're told, "You could cut the bitterness with a knife."

Simon Cowell wasn't the only one who bid sayonara to "American Idol" last night.

Dorian Holley -- the Vocal Coach and Associate Musical Director -- said farewell last night as well, and he's heading for "The Tonight Show."

Holley was also the Vocal Director for Michael Jackson and was a key player in the London tour that never happened. He was with Jackson hours before he died.

Holley will become the lead singer in "The Tonight Show" band. And he's not the only "A.I." musical guru who's jumping ship -- Rickey Minor will take over Jay's band.

It all went down after the show, when the two met up for a few backstage pics (the one above is from Bret's own camera).

Bret's people tell us before they separated, Bret dished out the following nugget of wisdom -- "Everyone is nervous before they hit the stage. What separates the ones who make it and [the ones that] don't is how they channel that energy."

We're not saying Bret stole that line from a fortune cookie, but he also told Lee that his lucky numbers are 4, 8, 15, 16, 23 and 42.