Matt Drudge, editor of , has led the way with accusations that Cowell resting his head on his middle finger during a performance was actually "a one-finger salute".
But could it just have been a finger malfunction? Cowell is defending himself saying it was just an innocent posture and not an obscene gesture towards Abdul, with whom he has had run-ins in the past. Fox, which broadcasts 'American Idol', has also said that it was a "completely benign gesture".
Responding to the reports Cowell said: "I certainly would never make a gesture like that toward Paula or on national television. Sometimes I lean on my index finger. Sometimes a different finger. Sometimes two at the same time or, God help me, even the whole hand. I never even thought about it until now."
'American Idol' is in its third season in the US and Tuesday's two-hour broadcast was watched by 27m viewers, which makes it the Fox network's most-watched Tuesday in history.
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