After tonight’s news that Ellen DeGeneres won’t be returning to American Idol next year, speculation over the makeup of the judges’ table has reached a frenzy. After celebrities ranging from Jessica Simpson to Chris Isaak were floated as potential new judges, Deadline is reporting that Jennifer Lopez will be joining Idol as a judge next season. Deadline says a deal was closed earlier this week “under the utmost secrecy,†and the DeGeneres announcement was made once J. Lo had signed. (When asked about the Lopez rumor, Fox had no comment.) Seeing as her own music career hasn’t exactly been thriving as of late, this actually seems like a pretty smart move for Jenny From The Block. [Deadline]