American Idol

Nicki Minaj is FURIOUS with "American Idol" producers -- telling her peeps they goosed Mariah Carey into starting beef on the set.

Sources connected with Nicki tell us ... she's convinced producers -- along with members of Mariah's team -- are conspiring to get under her skin ... because they think a pissed off Minaj will bring in viewers.

We're told Nicki is adamant ... she won't be anyone's puppet and if she feels she's being set up, she vows to "cut it off at the head." As for how, she says for starters, the next time Mariah "acts up," Nicki is walking off the set.

There's just one problem with her theory -- we know "Idol" producers were genuinely shocked and upset by Tuesday's outburst. Our very connected "Idol" sources tell us the big wigs were completely flat footed and they are doing everything they can to restore peace -- which they successfully did Wednesday.

Brittany Kerr went back into the danger zone Tuesday night ... the center of the Hollywood bar scene ... only this time, the former "American Idol" contestant was spotted with a man who WASN'T wearing a wedding ring.

No blood today on the set of "American Idol." In fact, it was downright peaceful and professional ... sources connected with the show tell TMZ.

We're told from outward appearances at least ... Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj buried the hatchet and were civil with each other during the entire day of auditions in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Our sources say everyone was "embarrassed" by the outburst between Nicki and Mariah captured on video and posted on TMZ. They apparently took it to heart. Our spies say the confrontation "shocked everyone back into place."

We're told aside from everyone getting along, the talent was great and the judges meshed together better than just about any configuration the show has ever had.

The question ... will the detente last? Everyone is boarding a plane right now for Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Mariah Carey fired the first shots in her "American Idol" war with Nicki Minaj ... calling the rapper a "bitch" multiple times ... this according to sources close to Minaj.

According to our sources, Nicki is adamant ... in the moments before the TMZ video begins, Mariah repeatedly berated her ... until Nicki finally had enough and exploded.

We're told ... Nicki feels Mariah has been wasting everyone's time by constantly praising herself instead of focusing her energy on critiquing the contestants.

Nigel Lythgoe tells TMZ, "The statement [that Nicki made a death threat] is absolute rubbish. It's absolutely not true in any way, shape or form." Nigel adds that Mariah confronted Nicki this morning and asked if she made the death threat and Nicki said absolutely not. Nigel says Mariah's people are stirring the pot and gave her bad info.

Nicki Minaj's rant on the "American Idol" set Tuesday went way beyond name-calling ... she threatened Mariah Carey's life -- this according to sources connected to the production.

Our sources say ... in the heat of the argument, Nicki said, "If I had a gun I would shoot her."

The alleged threat was not captured on the video obtained by TMZ. But this is interesting ... if you listen to the audio closely, 11 seconds in you hear Nicki say to Mariah, "Off with your head! Off with your head!."

There's a reason Ryan Seacrest is so rich ... he KNOWS conflict makes shows successful -- claiming yesterday's Nicki Minaj-Mariah Carey blowout is a good thing ... for "American Idol" ratings.

Seacrest just took to his radio show, addressing the TMZ video in which Nicki goes off on Mariah during an audition Tuesday. Ryan said, "We want that!"

"We want them to be on this panel together. This is a good team, a great team, to go out and look for the next American Idol."

Seacrest said, "[There's] nothing wrong with disagreeing ... That's gonna happen, and it's okay."

He added, "These are all very different individuals with different perspectives and different opinions that provide for interesting conversation and dialogue and feedback for the contestants."

9:47 AM PT -- Sources tell TMZ, Nicki's rant on the "American Idol" set went beyond mere name-calling Tuesday ... the rapper also threatened Mariah's life, saying, "If I had a gun, I would shoot her."

Nicki Minaj derailed the "American Idol" auditions in Charlotte, North Carolina Tuesday, after swearing at Mariah Carey and threatening, "I'm gonna knock you out" ... but Mariah FIRED RIGHT BACK with insults of her own.

In the footage, obtained by TMZ, Nicki is clearly furious ... shouting, "I told them I'm not f*ckin' putting up with her f**kin' highness over there."

Mariah can be heard saying, "“Oh why, WHYYYY .do I have a three year old sitting around me?”

Carey continues, "I can’t see my kids, because you decided to act like a little crazy bitch and go all around the stage.”

Sources say Nicki later threatened to "knock out" Mariah ... but she said it before the video starts.

It all went down while the two were sitting at the judge's table ... with Keith Urban sitting in between them and Randy Jackson sitting on the far end, next to Mariah.

We're told the whole thing exploded over a disagreement over a contestant's performance.

Listen closely as you play the video ... you'll hear

Nicki: Think I'm playin? Think this sh*t is a f*cking joke? Think it’s a joke? Think it’s a joke? Think it’s a joke? Say one more disrespectful thing to me, if you say one more disrespectful thing to me -- off with your head!

Mariah: I am not being disrespectful.

Nicki: Off with your head, off with your head.

Nicki: Don’t tell me I'm insecure, don’t tell me I'm inadequate ... you gonna get sent [inaudible] just fall back; don’t ... you don’t know [inaudible] I don’t feel inadequate. You’re the insecure one sittin' up there running down her resume every five minutes.

Nicki: Every time you take a shot at me I'ma take it back, and if you gotta f*cking problem then handle it. I told them, I'm not f*cking putting up with your f*cking highness over there ... figure it the f*ck out. Figure it out.

Mariah: whyyyy, whhyyyyy ...

Nicki: Figure it out

Mariah: ... do I have a 3-year-old sitting around me???

Nicki: I’m not sitting here for 20 minutes and having you run down your resume everyday, No! Goodbye!

Mariah: Listen ... I can’t see my kids because you decided to make ... to have ... to have a little baby fit and going all around the stage.

Nicki: Good, well then go see them now, go see them now ... you’re boring as f*ck, you’re boring as f*ck.

According to our friends at MouthToEars.com, producers ended the auditions for the day so the two judges could cool down. We've confirmed that happened.

Big wigs on the show seem uncharacteristically upset by the blow up. It seems producers are worried about Mariah and Nicki co-existing for the long haul.

Brittany Kerr's friends may have been rubbing off on her ... 'cause before she hooked up with a very married country singer, Kerr was partying with a girl who knows a thing or two about home-wreckin' ... Tiger Woods mistress Jamie Grubbs.

TMZ obtained pics of the former "American Idol" contestant ragin' with Grubbs at a bar earlier this year -- and sources connected to the ladies tell us they've been friends for a while.

We're told the two initially met while working together at an L.A. bar ... and hit it off.

Of course, Grubbs shot to fame when it was revealed she was one of a bazillion women Tiger was nailin' behind his wife's back.

Brittany Kerr has issued an apology for getting up close and personal with married country singer Jason Aldean ... chalking the whole thing up to a "lapse in judgment."

The former "American Idol" contestant says, "The actions I portrayed recently were not a representation of my true character, but a lapse in judgment on my part."

She adds, "I would like to sincerely apologize to everyone that has been affected by this, including my friends & family."

We broke the story ... Aldean put the moves on Kerr on the patio of a crowded bar on the Sunset Strip last week. Jason later issued an apology ... saying the whole thing was a drunken mistake.

Here's the question/inconsistency. Brittany told friends after we first posted the pics that she didn't know Jason was married. So, if she did know ... why does she now say she had a "lapse in judgment?" Just asking.

Jason Aldean wasn't lying ... the married country star WAS a drunken mess on that night he macked on "American Idol" contestant Brittany Kerr ... and TMZ has the video that proves it.

We shot the footage last week ... showing Aldean and some of his buddies stumbling out of "The Den" bar and grill on the Sunset Strip and into a waiting taxi.

At the time, we had no idea the guy had been making out with the "Idol" singer ... we just knew he was hammered ... so, nothing special.

FYI -- you can plainly see Aldean's wedding ring in the video ... so Kerr's excuse that she didn't know he was married is dubious.

Former "American Idol" contestant Brittany Kerr has shut down her Twitter page ... after a gang of angry Jason Aldean fans BLASTED the singer online -- calling her everything from a "skank" to a "homewrecking whore."

The cyber-hate came flooding in after TMZ posted the pics of Aldean -- a huge country singer who happens to be MARRIED -- putting the moves on Kerr at a crowded bar on the Sunset Strip.

Sources connected to Kerr tell us ... she had NO IDEA Aldean was married ... and if she would have known, she would have shut the whole thing down from the start.

Even though Kerr didn't go home with Aldean, people attacked her online ... writing terrible things on her Facebook page including:

"Disgusting homewrecking tramp!"

"what is wrong with you taking advantage of a married man while he was drinking."

For the record, people have ripped Aldean on his Facebook page too. He has since apologized, chalking the whole thing up to a bad drunken decision.

Country music superstar Jason Aldean says his very open public display of affection with a former "American Idol" contestant -- who is NOT his wife -- was a huge, drunken mistake.

Jason released a statement today, apologizing for his indiscretion, after TMZ posted pictures early this morning of the country singer and "A.I." castoff Brittany Kerr getting up close and personal -- hugging, touching, and flirting at a very popular, crowded bar on the Sunset Strip (above).

Jason -- who has been married since 2001 -- says, "The truth is that I screwed up. I had too much to drink, let the party get out of hand and acted inappropriately at a bar."

He says, "I ultimately ended up embarrassing my family and myself." And then adds, "I left alone and that's the end of the story."

Country music superstar Jason Aldean got up close and personal with a former "A.I" contestant ... right in the open at a very public bar on the Sunset Strip. There's just one problem ... he's married to another woman.

TMZ obtained photos of Jason and Season 11 "A.I" contender Brittany Kerr taken on the crowded bar patio area at The Den on Wednesday night -- frequented by locals and tourists always on the hunt for celebrities.

In the photos Aldean and Kerr get very flirty ... hugging, touching each other and at one point it appears Aldean goes in for a kiss.

Aldean --- who performed this weekend in So Cal -- eventually left the bar in a cab without Brittany.

Here's the rub, Aldean is married to his high school sweetheart, Jessica Ussery, who he tied the knot with back in 2001 and they have 2 kids together.

Mariah Carey pulled Nicki Minaj aside yesterday and convinced her ... feuding would not be good for the show, and they both needed to stop the antics they pulled during Sunday's auditions.

"American Idol" sources tell TMZ ... Mariah and others were ticked off Sunday that Nicki arrived 45 minutes late ... and that set the tone for the whole day. Although Nigel Lythgoe is saying everything was hunky dory Sunday, we know it wasn't. Mariah talked over Nicki, criticizing her critiques, and Nicki fired right back.

Wanna live like an "American Idol" finalist? Now you can ... but only if you're willing to drop $5,300 per week.

The mansion has one helluva history -- before it housed Idol's Top 12 in 2011 ... it was home to Playboy's "Swingers" reality show ... where a bunch of strangers banged each other mercilessly for several weeks while cameras rolled.

Now, TMZ has learned ... the 16,000 square foot pad in the Hollywood Hills has transformed into a fancy-schmancy (and extremely expensive) weight-loss and health center called Destination Fit4LA.

A rep for the center tells us ... the people behind Destination Fit4LA have owned the property for awhile and rented the place out to Playboy and "Idol" to make some cash while they prepared to launch their weight loss business.

We're told guests will stay in the 10-bedroom, 16-bath complex for $5,300 a week ... which includes a comprehensive weight loss program ... specialized meals ... and use of all the awesome amenities, including a fitness center, game room, theater and pool.

Mariah Carey wasted no time proving what we told you 2 weeks ago -- there's only room for one diva on "American Idol."

Carey and Nicki Minaj went at it during the first "A.I." taping Sunday in NYC. When Nicki started critiquing a contestant, Mariah would interrupt -- not once, but many times. Each time Mariah interrupted, Nicki fought back by loudly talking over Mariah.

One "A.I." spy said Mariah and Nicki tried to cover their disdain for each other but everyone saw through it, adding, "These girls just don't like each other."

You may recall, we reported when producers called Mariah to tell her that Nicki would probably be joining her as a judge, she hung up the phone.