Paula Abdul

Overview

Paula Julie Abdul, born June 19, 1962, in San Fernando, California, is an American singer, dancer, choreographer, actress and television personality. She began as a Los Angeles Lakers cheerleader at 18 and became head choreographer of the Laker Girls before the Jacksons hired her for music-video and tour work. As a choreographer she shaped era-defining videos for Janet Jackson (including Control-era clips) and film sequences for Coming to America (1988), The Running Man, Can’t Buy Me Love, Big’s giant keyboard scene, The Doors, Jerry Maguire and American Beauty. She later won Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Choreography for The Tracey Ullman Show and for her 1990 American Music Awards performance. Her debut album Forever Your Girl (1988) produced multiple Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 singles, including “Straight Up,” “Cold Hearted” and “Opposites Attract,” and she won a Grammy Award for Best Music Video for “Opposites Attract.” She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1991. From 2002 to 2009 she was an original judge on American Idol, and she has since judged The X Factor, Live to Dance, So You Think You Can Dance and The Masked Dancer. She continues to perform her catalog, including a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade appearance featuring “Straight Up.”

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Last updated November 6, 2026