Paula Abdul Says She Was “Blown Away” By Fantasia’s “Stellar” Acting in ‘Color Purple’: “The Film Is Filled With Oscar-Worthy Performances”

It’s been 20 years since Fantasia first launched into superstardom on the heels of a win at ‘American Idol‘ under the tutelage of then-judges Randy Jackson, Simon Cowell, and Pop star Paula Abdul, but a recent reunion of the latter with the now-GRAMMY-winning R&B diva makes it seem like yesterday.

Wednesday night’s premiere of ‘The Color Purple‘ at The Academy Museum in Los Angeles (December 6) may have brought out a who’s who in Hollywood, but one of the most memorable moments from its red carpet was the reunion of Fantasia Barrino and Paula Abdul.

Photographed hugging nearly two decades after Barrino took the ‘Idol’ crown (as seen above), Abdul – who took to ‘ET’ to say she felt like a “proud mom” of Fannie even after all these years – reiterated the sentiment on Twitter on Friday (December 8).

Paula’s grade of Barrino’s performance in the movie echoes that of a number of industry critics who say the ‘When I See U’ hitmaker may be seeing an Academy Award in her near future.

‘The Color Purple,’ which also stars Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, H.E.R., Halle Bailey, Colman Domingo, Ciara, and more, heads to theaters on December 25.

Check out the action-packed trailer here.

Fantasia & Paula Abdul reunite at #TheColorPurple premiere pic.twitter.com/uNMlWqyTVD

— Fantasia News Daily (@fantasia_daily) December 7, 2023

[photo sources: Getty Images/Twitter]