Paula Turns Thumbs Down on Salon
May 18th, 2004
May 18, 2004
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The focus of "American Idol" is meant to be the hopeful stars, who sing their hearts out every Tuesday night. But lately, the large bandage on Paula Abdul's right thumb has been raising some eyebrows as well.
And now Paula's officially giving thumbs down to Chinoisiere, a Studio City nail salon where many stars go to get their nails done. Abdul believes a manicure there left her with an infection so severe that she almost lost her thumb. Doctors at Los Angeles' Cedar's Sinai Hospital reportedly had to surgically remove the entire nail, which left Paula slinging her way through many "American Idol" shows.
"I've had manicures forever, and I've never run into any problem like this, so it's kind of frustrating," Paula told us.
So frustrating for Paula that "CJ's" learned that Abdul is about to retain a major personal injury law firm to go toe to toe against the nail salon. Sources say a lawsuit is likely as early as this week.
When we visited the salon, a manager inside suggested that Paula's injury didn't happen there, telling us, "We called her initially out of concern" because "we like her, not because we had anything to do with it."
The manager also added that, "her claims are inconsistent with the dates and times she was here."
But Paula told us that while doing her nails, the manicurist poked her in the thumb and she screamed. When she left, Paula says she sucked her thumb and tasted blood. Paula also said the salon called her friend four times that night to see how she was doing.
The former pop star's people say they will be able to prove the timing does sync up. In the meantime, Paula manages to make light of her new fashion accessory, but sources tell us she's still has extreme pain, has spent a bundle on medical bills and missed lucrative appearances.
So it seems that even the ever-smiling Abdul, who is famous for her fairness, could be seeking fairness from a judge in court.