But Hibberd believes there will be a softer tone this season.
"Simon Cowell said the whole incident gave him pause," he said. "I wouldn't be surprised if their comments are a little bit toned down. The producers are also looking to make this round focus more on the people who do well than the train wreck performers. We're going to be seeing a nicer 'Idol' either way."
Goodspeed's likely suicide is only the latest scandal to rock "Idol." Here's a look back at some of the show's most controversial moments:
Jessica Sierra:
The Season 4 finalist had several brushes with the law after her time in the spotlight. First Sierra was given a year's probation in November 2007 after pleading no contest to felony battery and cocaine possession charges. Less than a month later, she was arrested again at a Tampa, Fla., bar and charged with disorderly intoxication, resisting arrest and violating conditions of her parole.
A judge sentenced her to a year of rehab at a California facility run by Dr. Drew Pinsky and Sierra got another shot at reality television, appearing in the first season of Pinsky's VH-1 show "Celebrity Rehab."
Corey Clark:
One of 12 finalists during the show's second season, Clark told ABC's "Primetime Live" that as a 22-year-old he had an off-camera relationship with Abdul, then 40, that was at first platonic but later sexual.
Clark was abruptly booted from the show in April 2003 when producers learned he had been arrested for a domestic dispute with his sister the previous year.
After Clark's allegations, Abdul's rep issued a statement at the time saying she "will not dignify the false statements made by Corey Clark with a response. He is communicating lies about Paula Abdul in order to generate interest in a book deal."
The "Idol" producers at the time said they were never contacted by Clark concerning his claims.
Clark became an "Idol" footnote and Abdul continues to be a judge.
Carly Hennessy:
Last season it became clear that some "Idol" wannabes were not as green as they appeared to be. When it was discovered that Hennessy, the Irish singer with the big voice, had once been signed to a million-dollar record deal, some fans cried foul.
Hennessy only sold a few hundred CDs and was not under contract at the time she auditioned for "American Idol," which its rules state. Nonetheless, when New York magazine broke the story about Hennessy's and another contestant's previous record deals, a miniscandal ensued.
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