Drudge reports today that Fox is on the verge of suing ABC over its behind-the-scenes exposé of Fox’s American Idol, which ABC plans to air next Wednesday as May sweeps begins. Included in the show are interviews with six or so Idol losers, and Fox boss Rupert Murdoch fears it won’t be pretty. We hope not.

“We got all these ridiculous questions yesterday from an ABC producer,” a top IDOL source tells the DRUDGE REPORT. “ABC can not beat us with programming, so they are attempting to bring us down with lies and false charges.” At the center of the questions, the IDOL source claims, are the actions of show judge Paula Abdul. “[ABC] is trying to say Paula somehow cheats and picks favorite singers to nurture, in violation of some sort of network standards,” the IDOL source, who demanded anonymity, explains.

Meanwhile, according to an LA Times story today, Fox is investigating allegations that Abdul had a romance with a contestant during the show’s second season. Corey Clark, a semifinalist on the show, is claiming in a book that Abdul offered him money and asked him to keep their affair secret. Which adds delicious flavoring to what Simon Cowell told Extra yesterday: “Paula, to be fair to her, will spend more time backstage with the contestants giving encouragement and everything else.”

(Photos: Abdul, Clark)