Ex-Idol Paula Goodspeed found dead outside judge Paula Abdul's home

A FORMER contestant on hit US television show American Idol has been found dead outside the Los Angeles home of Paula Abdul, the singer who stars as a judge on the series.

US news sites have reported the body of a woman discovered in a car parked near Abdul's home in Sherman Oaks yesterday was Paula Goodspeed, who had appeared on American Idol, one of the highest rated shows on US television, in 2006.

Goodspeed, who was apparently infatuated with Abdul, had been mocked by the TV show's judges when she performed Proud Mary in her audition.

Police said she may have died from a drug overdose and her death is being treated as a suicide, People.com reported.

"Ms Goodspeed's mother had gone to (the sheriff's department) to report her daughter missing, and advised them that she might be suicidal," Los Angeles police captain James Miller said.

"The sheriffs determined that Ms Goodspeed may be up in the vicinity by Paula Abdul's house. Our officers discovered her vehicle parked on the street, and found her inside. She was unresponsive to officers."

Abdul released a statement saying she was "deeply shocked and saddened" by the news.

"My heart and prayers go out to her family," Abdukl said, People.com reported.

Abdul's spokesperson said Abdul and her staff had known about the woman for several years.

When she appeared on the show Goodspeed talked about her fondness for Abdul.

"I'm a really big fan, and I made life-sized drawings of Paula. I've been drawing ever since I was a little kid, and my first drawing was of Paula Abdul," she said.

American Idol has emerged as a phenomenon since it debuted on US network Fox in 2002 as a spin-off from British television hit Pop Idol.

The series aims to unearth the best singer in the US through a series of nationwide auditions contested by thousands which are whittled down to around two dozen finalists, who are then gradually eliminated each week according to results from viewers voting at home.

Numerous winners and finalists of the show have gone to forge successful music industry careers, including Oscar-winning actress and singer Jennifer Hudson.

source: http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/story/0,26278,24644884-5016681,00.html