Paula Abdul and Corey Clark scandal continues

paula abdul and corey clark scandal

NEW YORK - A former "American Idol" contestant told ABC News that judge Paula Abdul coached him on song selections, helped buy him clothes to wear on television and even gave him prescription cough medicine to soothe his throat.

And, claimed 2003 contestant Corey Clark on "Primetime Live" Wednesday, Abdul initiated a sexual relationship and pleaded with him recently to keep it a secret.

ABC's "Fallen Idol" special, an unusually critical report by a television network on a rival's hit show, aired during a ratings "sweeps" month. It aired a half-hour after the current version of "American Idol" sent home singer Scott Savol to reach its final four contestants.

While seemingly under siege this season, "American Idol" is still a hit with viewers - 23.8 million watched Tuesday night - heading to a May 24-25 finale.

Clark reached the final 12 contestants in 2003 but was thrown off the show for failing to reveal a past arrest record.

"Primetime Live" showed how Clark serenaded Abdul during an audition, sauntering to the judge's table and kissing her on the hand. Later, he said someone slipped him Abdul's phone numbers.

He called, she sent a car to bring him to her house and they spent the night talking about how to get ahead in the game, he claimed.

"Primetime Live" detailed how Abdul helped Clark get a cell phone and showed pages of phone records it said detailed calls between the 22-year-old contestant and celebrity nearly two decades his senior - one lasting 155 minutes.

"It felt like she was hitting on me a little bit," he said, "and I liked it."

He described how Abdul came up behind him one night and kissed him on the back of the neck, and that was the night when their affair began.