paulreax.jpgWe're learning more about why Paula Abdul made the shocking decision to quit American Idol.

It's seems Paula wasn't being treated, as she once famously said on her reality show, "like the gift that she is."

“When everyone else [was] getting such big raises she was hurt,” a friend of the now former Idol judge revealed to People mag.

“She did want to go back to the show, of course. She’s upset they didn’t give her what she deserved.”

What Paula thought she deserved, and we have to side with her on this, was a big new contract with a lot of zeros after the dollar sign - like host Ryan Seacrest and fellow judge Simon Cowell recently negotiated - somewhere in the neighborhood of $20 million a year.

But the producers apparently didn't think Paula was worth it, even though she's been a big part of the show's success which has generated untold millions for Fox.

Paula's decision came as a big surprise to her fellow AI co-stars.

"I am shocked," fellow judge Randy Jackson told Usmagazine.com in a statement. "Paula is a dear friend and will be missed."

Ryan Secreast posted the following message on his Twitter account: "I am shocked and saddened about Paula...Idol and the cast have grown with each other over the last 8 seasons..I can't imagine the panel without Paula. She's a star [and] a great friend."

So what's next for Paula? It's not clear at the moment, but she'll certainly be in demand and other network executives will surely be looking at potential shows for Paula.

"We wouldn't rule out anything," said Paul Telegdy, Executive VP of Alternative Programming and Production for NBC said today. "Paula is an exceptional piece of talent."