It's very possible according to news reports for the past week. Fox's ratings dream for their struggling reality talent show  American Idol is turning into a nightmare, and it's very possible that either Mariah Carey or Nicki Minaj may not be around for much longer.

Of course both Carey and Minaj were brought on the show this season as judges to boost the seriously sagging ratings for the show this season and, especially in the case of Minaj, to bring in a younger demographic and compete with NBC's hugely successful The Voice.

And it's hardly a secret that Fox was hoping for fireworks between to two divas. But things got quickly out of hand.

After a video of a vicious angry exchange between the two during an audition went viral around the world, things got much worse when Carey publicly revealed that Minaj had also actually threatened to "shoot" her, which resulted in Carey hiring extra security to protect her.

But the choice of Minaj was a controversial one in the first place. Along with the fact that people said it was hypocritical for someone like Minaj to judge a singing contest, there was also the problem that she was not the right fit for the show.

According to Lyndsey Parker of Yahoo Music: "Nicki is extremely polarizing, and from the moment her addition to the ‘Idol’ judging panel was announced, there were a lot of protests from longtime viewers.” 

She further added that the fight and ugly tension between Carey and Minaj are hurting the show, turning AI into just another Real Housewives or Basketball Wives show: "Very trashy and very nasty and that is that the feel-good, family friendly show that Idol is supposed to be about. Focus less on the superstar judges and their crazy behavoir and more on the superstars thet show claims it is trying to discover."

So, wiith all the problems and tension, is it possible that one of them will not be around for much longer? Very possible. 

Los Angeles Lawyer Dariush Adli said that Carey could very possibly decide to leave the show and that Fox would be powerless to do anything about it. The network could sue her for "damages that it will likely suffer as a result of their quitting, such as the cost of finding a replacement, the interruption in the program schedule, and negative publicity."

But Carey could very likely not face any legal action, with Minaj getting jacked up with all sorts of legal problems.

Carey could "claim a legitimate concern about her safety or at least an inability to fully focus on her role as a judge as a result of this threat. Minaj, on the other hand, will likely face a lawsuit if she quits the program for having brought on the outcome. In fact, if they both quit, Minaj will likely be sued on both contracts."

OUCH!

Naturally, some people are saying that this feud is nothing more than a big fake PR stunt cooked up by the network and the singers to get publicity for the show. But insiders involved with AI say that the tensions bewteen the two are very real indeed.

Though sometimes tension and conflict is good for a show, it can also be destructive. As long time Hollwood publicist Glenn Sleig said: "Fiery exchanges can enhance a show as they did between Simon Cowell and Paula Adbul. But they also be toxic. It can destroy a show and morale across the board, and get in the way of producing a good program. The public needs to see Nicki acting professionally and if she fails that, they will likely lose tolerance."  

Fox, for its part, has just released a statement stating that everything so far is going swimmingly well:

"This is one of the best, most passionate, dynamic and invested judging panels we've ever had.  We love and support all of the judges and the fantastic work they are doing, and we can't imagine a better group to find the next American Idol. Despite all the accusations and media speculation — much of which is inaccurate — production is going extremely well today and the judges are focused on finding the best talent."

When a network releases a statement like that, then you know things aren't going well.