After more than a year of dating, Paula Abdul and her restaurateur boyfriend JT Torregiani have split due to their hectic work schedules, his rep tells PEOPLE exclusively.

“It became too hard to maintain the relationship,” says Torregiani’s rep, who adds: “They remain best of friends.”

The couple began dating in 2006 and were spotted last June celebrating her 45th birthday together at Torregiani’s West Hollywood eatery, Ketchup, where he spent the entire night by her side.

Last summer, Abdul described her romantic life to Today show host Matt Lauer as “a horror movie” but noted that “things are looking good right now.”

Paula Abdul has split from boyfriend, restaurateur J.T. Torregiani, her rep confirms exclusively to Usmagazine.

The pair parted ways more than two months ago. Torregiani, 33 — a partner in the Dolce Group — has moved out of the American Idol judge’s Los Angeles home.

“She’s doing fine,” a source close to Abdul, 46, tells Us. “She has moved on with her life.”

Abdul and Torregiani began dating in April 2007 when he introduced himself to her after an Idol taping.

In June 2007, he threw her a 45th birthday party at Ketchup, the West Hollywood eatery he co-owns.

“He’s a sweetie pie,” she told USA Today last October. “He’s a positive force that has come into my life right now. Where it leads, who knows?”

Abdul told the paper that a baby was “the next step in my life.

“Definitely within the next two years,” she said. “I thought by now I’d have three grown children.”

Nick Stahl gained a whole new understanding of life as a disabled person while prepping for his role in “Quid Pro Quo,” opening tomorrow (6/13), in which he plays a partially paralyzed investigative reporter for public radio.

“I went around the city in a wheelchair to see what it was like,” he tells us, referring to New York.  “My first impression was how hard it was, how physically taxing it was.  You don’t really realize, the city is kind of on a slant.  The sidewalks, you consider them flat, and they’re really not… I got to gauge people’s reactions as well.  There were two kind of main reactions.  One was just avoidance – not making eye contact…The other was people who were overly helpful.”

The actor known as savior-of-the-world John Connor from the “Terminator” series, and as the star of HBO’s eerie “Carnivale” series of a few years ago, found that the chair made him suddenly incognito.  He was only recognized twice, he says.

“Quid Pro Quo” marks another trip to the dark and strange side for Stahl, whose character gets lured by a mysterious beauty (Vera Farmiga) into investigating the story of a subculture of people afflicted with a perverse desire to be disabled.

“I really didn’t (know) anything about this,” he says.  “I read the script and thought it was so well-written and the character was so complex and interesting, and the twists in the script were so genuinely surprising and weird I was really caught off guard by it.  These types of roles, complex roles like this, I’m always attracted to as well.”

However, “I’ve never shied away from the mainstream – ever,” says Stahl, who plays a telepath in the forthcoming thriller “Speed of Thought.”  “If people see you in a certain light, they’re going to want you for other movies like that.  The fact is that I tend to have done more independent, experimental, darker, edgy kinds of things since I was younger.  But I’m open to any kinds of stories.”

PERSONALLY SPEAKING: Ed Westwick may be the bad boy of “Gossip Girl,” but unlike many of his young, famous counterparts, he tells us he has no desire to be Hollywood’s newest party guy.  ”I’m not of the nature where I’m going to be the most ideal person for Page Six.

I’m not a crazy kind of person who goes nuts,” claims Westwick.  ”I’m a young guy so of course I’m going to go out and there will probably be times in my life where there are things that happen that people are going to raise an eyebrow to because that’s life.  I’m growing up,” notes the British actor.

“It’s the same with everyone else on the show or with anyone who’s been in our situation.  It comes with the territory.  As long as you’ve got a brain, it can work to people’s advantage.”

POWER OF THE TUBE: Last month, “America’s Got Talent” winner Terry Fator signed a five-year deal reported to be worth a staggering $100 million to headline at Las Vegas’ Mirage Hotel.  Last week, the comedian/ventriloquist headlined a fundraiser in Kalispell, Montana that the nice guy entertainer considered a makeup gig.  The beneficiary was Kalispell’s Miracle Field.

“They’re popping up all over the place — baseball diamonds with soft surfaces for disabled kids, kids with bone problems, kids with hemophilia.  They’re not only good for the bodies of the children, but good for the souls of the parents and children,” he reports.  “I wanted so badly to do good for them last year, but I just couldn’t get the ticket sales.  Before ‘America’s Got Talent’ I couldn’t even sell a third of the venue.  What a difference a year makes.  This time, within a week every ticket was sold.  It’s just wonderful after 20 years to be in that position.”

Fator’s success story will be highlighted when “America’s Got Talent” begins its new season on NBC June 17.   “They’ve had camera crews following me around.  And I’ll be back for the finale.  I’m going to come in and do some special things,” he says.

His Mirage gig launches Valentine’s Day, 2009.  “I still have seven months to wait.  I feel like a kid who can’t stand waiting for Christmas.  But my entire summer, fall and winter are completely slammed so I’ll be busy,” says Fator, who has a schedule of shows at the Las Vegas Hilton to complete this year.  “I don’t know how I’ll find the time to write and rehearse a whole new show for the Mirage, but I will.  When I get onstage I want it to be right.  I’m a perfectionist.”  He also notes that “AGT” producer “Simon Cowell and all the judges told me they’re going to come see me at the Mirage.”

CELEB SCENE: Adding to that strange feeling that all celebrities know each other — Paula Abdul bonded with Jill Zarin from “The Real Housewives of NYC” at Nick & Toni’s in East Hampton the other night.  Abdul shared that it was her first time in the Hamptons and that she was having a great time.  We’re so pleased.

With the luster of Lindsay Lohan’s stardom dimmed – a lot – due to her record of hard partying, legal woes, drug trouble and flops, Lohan watchers are speculating over her chances of post-rehab redemption via her “Ugly Betty” arc that starts Thursday night (5/22).

She won’t be sitting idly by wondering, that’s for sure.  In fact, the whirl that is Lindsay’s world is spinning as fast as ever.  She’s currently prepping for “Labor Pains,” which has been set for a June 2 start date — the day after she’s to present at the MTV MovieAwards.   That’s the big-screen comedy in which she’ll play a girl so desperate not to get fired from her job, she falsely claims to be pregnant – then finds herself getting special treatment and sympathy.

On the heels of wrapping “Labor Pains,” Lindsay – who turns 22 on July 2 – is due to head to New York, barring an actors’ strike, for the start of next season’s “Ugly Betty,” in which she’s to appear in five episodes as a mean girl from high school who resurfaces in Betty’s (America Ferrera) life.

She’s also readying her much-discussed third album to debut in early fall.

Meanwhile, a casting notice has gone out for the role of Nancy Pitman in Matthew Bright’s “The Manson Girls,” the film detailing the murderous Charles Manson cult story through the eyes of his female followers — to which Lohan was attached. Nikki Finke’s Deadline Hollywood recently reported that Lindsay had been dropped from the project because other actors didn’t want to work with her – to which Lindsay’s rep quickly responded that her departure was due to scheduling conflicts.

Whatever —  the fact that producers are still hiring Lindsay brings to mind an observation made by comedic icon Bob Newhart years ago, that oftentimes, those who survive in this business are those whose talent exceeds their need to self destruct.

THE VIDEOLAND VIEW: Supermodel Beverly Johnson, who is making a television comeback, is comparing herself to Paula Abdul.  Given the sometimes-bizarre antics of Abdul, you certainly don’t hear that said too often, but Johnson is referring to her use of positive comments when it comes to judging contestants.  Johnson herself is a judge on the new original series, “She’s Got the Look,” premiering June 4 on TV Land.   “I was trying to call myself the Paula Abdul because I love her.  I love her as a person, and I consider myself a real nice person.  However, I don’t know if I was so nice,” admits Johnson of her behavior on the show, which sets out to discover a woman 35 or older to become the next great supermodel-of-a-certain-age.  ”I hope I didn’t come off too mean.  I think I was fair.  I was honest and I wanted to move them along to their dreams, but criticism, no matter how you give it, stings.”

Johnson, who was the first African-American model to appear on the cover of American Vogue, tells us she certainly had plenty to say.  ”I don’t know if I was supposed to or not, but I interjected whenever I got the chance.  I knew what it was like to leave your kids when you have to go away to work.  Plus, there was a sense of urgency because at this age they want to put this career in forward motion.”

As for Johnson’s career, she says she’s put in the long hours and now she’s focusing more of her attention on golf.  ”I built my dream home on a golf course.  This was all before I knew I was going back into show business.  I recently played in the LPGA Pro-Am tournament.  I missed the cup by one, but I was so excited to be on ESPN.”

CORONATION EQUATION: Derek Luke says working with one of his icons, Spike Lee, on the upcoming “Miracle at St. Anna’s” constituted a high mark in his career.  “In New York, Spike has this group of people that he always works with and now I can say I was amongst that group. It’s almost like being crowned being part of that.  I went in with no type of thought of what it should be, but I left with a proudness, you know what I’m saying?  It was a blessing to work with Spike.”  He notes, “I was always a fan. He had to be one of the first influences on my life as a filmmaker. His films really touched me.”  Luke co-stars with Laz Alonso, Michael Ealy and John Turturro in the film about four African-American GIs stuck behind enemy lines in Italy during WW II.

FREE LOVE AND HARD RAIN: Quite a casting job for the forces working on Ang Lee’s planned “Taking Woodstock” feature – it has 54 roles.  The adaptation of Elliot Tiber’s “Taking Woodstock: A True Story of a Riot, a Concert, and a Life” details how Tiber, described as a lonely gay Jewish man who managed a Catskills mountains hotel, wound up becoming a pivotal player in the making of the legendary 1969 Woodstock music festival.

“American Idol” had it all this season — talented singers, a David Archuleta for the prepubescent crowd, visits from pop royalty, stinging comments from Simon Cowell as usual, and jaw-dropping commentary from Paula Abdul. With all that provided on the show, why have some fans and observers found it a dull slog as the show builds to its David Archuleta vs. David Cook finale on Wednesday?

It seems contestants who were good but not memorable made for only mediocre television, according to show watchers. Where was the drama, the unpredictability, the oddball personalities? Where was the fun? I can’t believe I’m saying this… but maybe the show needs more idiots like Sanjaya?

Such criticism of this season’s show is ironic given the heat “Idol” took last year when Sanjaya Malakar, way more a hairstyle than a singer, held the spotlight of a semi-captive audience. Or remember the reaction when dancin’ man and over-rated singer Taylor Hicks won the title in 2006, relying on charm rather than skill?

Producers of the Fox show made an effort this year to go for vocal gold over glitz, and this is the thanks they get. We want good singers and bad singers, too! Viewer Mike Anderson chimed in with:

“The only thing that kept the entire thing from being excruciatingly boring was (apparent frontrunner) Michael Johns being voted off and the shiver it seemed to send through everyone. Because the talent level was so high, nothing anyone did was surprising.”

Dave Della Terza has long relished mocking “American Idol” on his Web site, VotefortheWorst.com, but counts himself among this season’s disappointed viewers. Dave said:

“In past years people would ask, `Do you hate “American Idol?”‘ I’d say it’s fun to make fun of, it’s so bad,” he said. “But this year, honestly, I’m so sick of the show. … It’s almost a chore to watch at this point.”

He’s hearing the same thing from visitors to his site and seeing it in the numbers, with traffic down about 50 percent. A major complaint cited by Della Terza: The contestants have remained cyphers. In other words, Jason Castro’s dreadlocks showed more character than any contestant.

“What do you really know about David Cook? All you really know about David Archuleta is his dad is annoying,” Della Terza said, referring to reports of backstage meddling.

“I think that’s why Sanjaya was so successful. Every week, he was coming out and showing personality. He flourished in a crowd of people who didn’t have personalities,” Della Terza said.

“American Idol” executive producer Nigel Lythgoe isn’t buying the criticism. He says the talent this year has been “phenomenal” and he expects the David Cook vs. David Archuleta finale will be the “humdinger” that judge Cowell colorfully predicted last week.

Bob Lefsetz isn’t buying it. The music industry analyst says flatly that “the bloom is off the rose” after so many years. “Even if the new Aretha Franklin came on,” he said, “people would say, `Seen it. I’m going to watch something on YouTube.’”

Paula Abdul made an appearance at the Fox Upfront After Party looking as good as ever. Normally when I see Paula she is of course judging American Idol and always manages to see half way lit up while doing so.

I really think she is part of the reason that I do not watch much of American Idol anymore. That and the fact that most of the contestants annoy me or can’t sing worth a damn. I could win that shit easy if I really tried!

Ryan Seacrest came to the defense of Paula Abdul Wednesday during American Idol’s live results show. Addressing Tuesday’s broadcast when Paula critiqued Jason Castro’s second song before he performed it, Ryan spoke up to put an end to gossip about his costar. (Paula defended herself earlier, calling the awkward moment an “honest mistake” on Ryan’s KIIS-FM radio show.)

“Last night the judges were thrown a curve ball on the air, which is just part of a live show,” Ryan said from the stage while a nervous-looking Paula watched from the judges’ panel. “But it sparked a lot of gossip about Paula. And I read some of this online this morning and just for the record, the rumors — they’re not true. She’s part of our family and we love her.”

Paula looked touched as the audience clapped and both Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell gave her a kiss on the cheek, which prompted Ryan to joke, “I think Simon still wants to hook up with her.”

It was a hectic night on “American Idol,” with the final five each crooning two Neil Diamond songs. Instead of the usual format, in which the judges critique each hopeful after their performance, Randy, Paula and Simon were asked to take notes during performances and offer their opinions at the end of each round. The new format threw off Paula Abdul — she critiqued both songs from Jason Castro — even though he had only sung one! “The second song, I felt like your usual charm wasn’t — it was missing for me. It kind of left me a little empty,” says Abdul, “the two songs made me feel like you’re not fighting hard enough to get into the top four.”

Randy Jackson cleared up the confusion by reminding Paula that Castro had only sung once. Even judge Simon Cowell, who had his usual harsh critiques for the aspiring Idols, admitted that the new format had also thrown him for a loop. “This was officially the strangest show we’ve ever done,” Cowell said at the end of the show, “but I like that. It’s kind of a bit chaotic tonight.”