Ryan Seacrest
Wikipedia

The new season of “American Idol” looks to be offering as much drama behind the judges' table as onstage after a video surfaced of newcomers Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey getting into a screaming fight during auditions in Charlotte, N.C. Always the peacemaker, Ryan Seacrest responded to the video on his Wednesday morning radio show.

It’s hard to make out exactly what is said on the video, which was released by TMZ, but it’s clear that Minaj and Carey are hardly getting off on the right foot. The footage starts in the midst of the spat, with Minaj in the middle of a bleep-filled tirade at Carey, with fellow new judge Keith Urban trapped between the two divas. Randy Jackson can be seen standing on the other side of Carey, apparently trying to break it up.

“These was a very heated, intense argument towards the end of the day after a contestant did a little bit of a performance in the room,” “Idol” host Ryan Seacrest said on his Wednesday morning radio show, according to MTV. “Keith was sitting there, Randy was sitting there. Of course, Nicki and Mariah both there… I was outside with the contestant’s family at the time. Both of these judges, as I have said before, come with different perspective.

"And, so, yeah, it was heated. It did go too far, to the point where the producers said with just a few more contestants left, 'Let's call it a day.' And, [they] called a 'wrap'. So, today is a second day of auditions in Charlotte, with that panel," Seacrest continued. "And when you look at what the producers and Fox put together for this season, both of them, all of them, the four of them are essential components to what makes up the entire sum of the panel and provides that different perspective and that interesting point of view.

"Let's see after last night, I don't know [if they talked]. [It's] inevitable we're going to be working there in a few hours... So, I can answer more of that tomorrow," he said.

Although it’s unclear what caused the catfight, TMZ reported that Minaj threatened to “knock out” Carey before the video started rolling. The site also provided a transcript and video of the interaction, which is almost sure to drive up the show’s ratings.

Nicki: Think I'm playin? Think this sh*t is a f*cking joke? Think it’s a joke? Think it’s a joke? Think it’s a joke? Say one more disrespectful thing to me, if you say one more disrespectful thing to me -- off with your head!

Mariah: I am not being disrespectful.

Nicki: Off with your head, off with your head.

Nicki: Don’t tell me I'm insecure, don’t tell me I'm inadequate ... you gonna get sent [inaudible] just fall back; don’t ... you don’t know [inaudible] I don’t feel inadequate. You’re the insecure one sittin' up there running down her resume every five minutes.

Nicki: Every time you take a shot at me I'ma take it back, and if you gotta f*cking problem then handle it. I told them, I'm not f*cking putting up with your f*cking highness over there ... figure it the f*ck out. Figure it out.

Mariah: Why? Why ...?

Nicki: Figure it out

Mariah: Do I have a 3-year-old sitting around me?

Nicki: I’m not sitting here for 20 minutes and having you run down your resume everyday, No! Goodbye!

Mariah: Listen ... I can’t see my kids because you decided to make ... to have ... to have a little baby fit and going all around the stage.

Nicki: Good, well then go see them now, go see them now ... you’re boring as f*ck, you’re boring as f*ck.