"She was being hotly pursued," a source told Us Weekly of the eye-popping figure. "They really wanted her."
In July, Perry spoke out about why she wasn't throwing her hat into the ring for a spot at the judges' table.
"People have reached out to me about the possibility of being involved, and it's not right for me yet," she told The Hollywood Reporter at the time.
So far Carey, 42, is the only confirmed judge for the upcoming season, and will reportedly rake in $18 million for the job - an unprecedented paycheck for a judge on any music competition show.
Previous judge Jennifer Lopez pulled in a handsome $12 million for each season that she appeared on, and Britney Spears, who will sit at the judges' table for Simon Cowell's "The X Factor," will bring in an impressive $16 million.
Other names that have been floated by "Idol" recently include Nicki Minaj, Pharell Williams, Nick Jonas, Keith Urban and Kanye West.
