by Gina Scarpa

We're nowhere near the live performance or elimination episodes of American Idol but the unexpected can happen even during the audition rounds. No, we're not talking about whether or not someone will go through to Hollywood - we're talking about whether or not this new panel of judges can sit in the same room together, never mind be civil. Over the years, the judges have disagreed over whether a singer has that special something that makes them deserving of moving on to the next round, but never quite like Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey did their stop in Charlotte, NC.

TMZ.com was the first to break the story, along with a video that you have to see to believe, where Nicki nearly lost her mind over an argument with Mariah. While Randy Jackson tried to break things up, Keith Urban just sat by with hands in the air, probably wishing he stayed as a mentor on Australia's version of The Voice. The auditions were reportedly halted so that the two women could take a breather before continuing their search for the next Idol.

This does pose the question, though: Was the argument staged and was the footage leaked in order to build anticipation for the upcoming season? Since when is anyone allowed to have a cell phone camera, or recording device of any kind for that matter, out in the audition room? While no one expects to see the two proclaiming to be each other's best friend anytime soon, and while I wouldn't put it past either one of them to want to be the biggest diva in the room, I'm not completely sold that a genuine feud has formed... yet.

American Idol will return for its 12th season in January of 2013. Will you be watching?

(Image courtesy of FOX)