Mariah Carey could quit her role as a judge on American Idol following her nasty bust-up with Nicki Minaj during the early audition rounds. Carey told television host Barbara Walters that the Queens rapper had threatened to shoot her during a particularly fiery exchange.

Mariah Carey posted this image of her twins on Instragram with the caption: "you love me & don't u forget it!" - A lil kiss from Ms. Monroe to Rocstarr

According to Adli Law Group President Dariush Adli, Carey (or Minaj for that matter) would be well within her rights to walk away from the show, should things become too much. “FOX will not be able to force either Minaj or Carey to stick with the program against their will,” he said. Carey is the most likely to be able to walk away without facing any legal ramifications from Fox or the Idol production team. “She can claim a legitimate concern about her safety or at least an inability to fully focus on her role as a judge as a result of this threat. Minaj, on the other hand, will likely face a lawsuit if she quits the program for having brought on the outcome,” added Adli. There’s also the possibility that rapper Minaj could be given the boot from the show without American Idol facing a backlash. Remember, Cheryl Cole was sacked from The X Factor USA without necessarily doing anything wrong (She was reportedly removed after not gelling with American audiences).

Fox has declined to comment on the controversy, instead attempting to spin the feud in search for viewers. “This is one of the best, most passionate, dynamic and invested judging panels we’ve ever had. We love and support all of the judges and the fantastic work they are doing, and we can’t imagine a better group to find the next American Idol,” they said in a statement on Friday.