Meghan Markle recently celebrated her eighth wedding anniversary with Prince Harry. To commemorate the milestone, the “Suits” actress and media personality posted sweet memories to social media. This included the use of Paula Abdul’s “Forever Your Girl.” Now, the former “American Idol” judge has reacted.
According to PEOPLE, Abdul then shared the post containing her song to Instagram Stories. She reacted, saying, “So sweet to hear ‘Forever Your Girl’ over these beautiful memories.” The “American Idol” alum added, “Wishing you both continued love, laughter, and a very Happy Anniversary! XoP.”
Regarding Markle and Prince Harry’s anniversary celebration, the “Suits” alum made multiple Instagram posts. She captioned them, “Eight years ago today…” Abdul’s “Forever Your Girl” can be heard in the embed below.
Paula Abdul Recently Returned to ‘American Idol’
GettyAbdul joined Fox’s “American Idol” as a judge for its first season alongside Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson in 2002. According to Billboard, the pop songstress announced her exit from the series in 2009. She said on Twitter at the time, “With sadness in my heart, I’ve decided not to return.”
She later said, “I’ll miss nurturing all the new talent, but most of all being a part of a show that I helped from day 1 become an international phenomenon Following her departure, Fox and the “American Idol” producers called Abdul “an important part of the ‘American Idol’ family over the last eight seasons, and we are saddened that she has decided not to return to the show.”
Then, in 2026, Abdul and Jackson returned to “American Idol” for its May 4 episode. The two joined current judges Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie.
Following the episode, Abdul took to Instagram to share her thoughts. The “Forever Your Girl” singer said, “Last night was something I’ll never forget. Being back on the @americanidol stage truly felt like being home again.”
She then said, “Celebrating the Class of 2006 and seeing some of my ‘ kids’ now all grown up was incredibly emotional for me. Watching the semifinalists and their passion reminded me exactly why this show has always meant so much to me.”
At the end of the post, Abdul gave a shoutout to the finalists, writing, “Congratulations to Hannah Harper, Keyla Richardson, and Jordan McCullough on making it to the finals… your journeys are just beginning.”
She Recently Revealed Her Favorite ‘American Idol’ Contestant
Abdul recently appeared on the offical “American Idol” podcast with Danielle Fishel. While on, the former judge was asked about her favorite contestant from her time on the show. She noted that Elliott Yamin, who placed third on season 5, was her favorite.
According to her, “Hands down, season 5 Elliott Yamin.” She went on, “There’s something about that kid. He’s no longer a kid. But there’s something about the purity of his heart and the ability of his voice that pierces the heartstrings.”
After that, she also named other iconic “American Idol” alums such as Kelly Clarkson, Fantasia Barrino, and Carrie Underwood.
