Paula Abdul was born on June 19, 1962 in California. Paula's parents separated when she was only seven years old, prompting Paula and her older sister to live with their mother in San Fernando Valley. Paula's interest in performing was sparked by Gene Kelly's performance in the movie "Singin' In The Rain." At the age of 8, she took up dancing and immediately, her great talent became apparent. While studying at Van Nuys High School, she was a member of the cheerleading squad and the band, where she played the flute. A dance camp near Palm Springs gave Paula a scholarship when she was 15. It was at the same dance camp where Paula learned how to lose weight by purgation, and a year later, was engaging in the unhealthy and dangerous eating habit. After she graduated from high school, she went on to attend the California State University at Northridge, where she majored in Broadcasting. During her first year, she auditioned to become a Laker Girl. Out of 700, she was one of the chosen and, after only three weeks, became the squad's head choreographer. As a choreographer, she has worked with famous names in the industry, such as The Jacksons, Janet Jackson, Luther Vandross and George Michael. In 1989, her work on the Tracy Ullman Show earned her an Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Choreography. A year before, she released her first album, entitled Forever Your Girl, which stayed on the Billboard Hot 200 for 62 weeks before reaching #1. Her second album, Spellbound, was released in 1991, and the single "Rush, Rush," which was further popularized by its music video featuring actor Keanu Reeves, was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for five straight weeks. Her third album, Head Over Heels, came out four years later while her fourth one, Paula Abdul: Greatest Hits, came out in 2000. The latter did not achieve the same success as her previous albums.

In 2002, Paula was asked to appear as a judge for FOX's reality series American Idol. On the show, she is known to be the kindest and the most generous in giving compliments to aspiring artists. She is also often the first to cry or show emotion when a contestant is eliminated from the show. Three years after the first season came out, Paula was involved in a controversy regarding former American Idol Finalist Corey Clark. Corey announced that he and Paula shared an intimate relationship during his stint at the show. Paula denied the claims, and the Fox Network backed her up. Since then, Paula has often been mocked and criticized for her seemingly drunken demeanor during interviews and television appearances, but she has been quick to defend herself.

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