Mariah Carey admitted during a radio interview that she hated judging on "American Idol" because she had to "work every day in hell with Satan," and while many suspected that "Satan" was a reference to Nicki Minaj, husband Nick Cannon recently told Access Hollywood that Carey's words were likely misinterpreted.
"I don't think [her 'Satan' comment] was about the people on the panel. It's about when someone tells you something and paints a picture one way, and then that's not the case," Cannon told Billy Bush and Kit Hoover on Friday's Access Hollywood Live, echoing his wife's sentiments that she was led to believe she would be the only female judge on the show.
"If she's used to being treated a certain way and then you have a network that says, 'No, we're gonna do this,' then...," he said. "[Mariah] was like, 'You said it was going be this, and then it turned out to be this.' From that point on, it was just bad."
Despite all of the zingers, eye-rolling and snips Carey and Minaj made at each other during season 12, Cannon insisted that Carey's latest comment wasn't about the "Super Bass" rapper.
"I don't think she was speaking directly about [Nicki]. I think she was talking about the situation in general. In her mind, it's bigger than that," he said. "If my wife wanted to [call Nicki Satan], she would've said that. She has no problem [saying] how she feels!"
During her interview with HOT 97 radio last week, Carey lamented that producers painted a much different picture of how judging the 12th season of "American Idol" would be for her, and how aside from connecting to several contestants, the TV role was a letdown.
"Honestly, I hated it," Carey said. "I thought it was going to be a three-person panel. They gave me a nice dangling monetary moment, and I was just like, 'Okay. Randy Jackson will be there; I've known him forever. He used to play bass for me. Like, this isn't a big deal. This will be nothing.' But it wasn't that. It was like going to work every day in hell with Satan."
"Some of them that were so good-and also really good people, you could tell-it was disappointing when [the judges] would, for political reasons, not put people through," she added.
Carey and Minaj made headlines repeatedly during season 12 for their verbal spats and bickering on and off-air, including a "leaked" video of Minaj yelling at Carey that Nick Cannon has suggested was purposefully used by producers to generate buzz prior to the season airing.
Minaj and Carey, who have previously collaborated and admitted to being fans of one another, reportedly reconciled back in January, although Minaj's latest tweet to Perez Hilton was likely aimed at the 43-year-old superstar.
"What u SHOULD be doing (wit your messy ass) is asking why a woman SO successful at her age, is still so INSECURE, and bitter @perezhilton," Minaj tweeted recently. She's addressed the feud with Carey several times on talk shows and during interviews, though it remains unclear whether or not the two stars are still on good terms.
