Much like the Beastie Boys, Ellen is too sweet to be sour, too nice to be mean.

On Thursday, E! Online reported that Ellen DeGeneres has decided to leave American Idol.  The Emmy Award-winning comedian and host of The Ellen DeGeneres Show says that her decision was made after realizing that her work schedule was too demanding, and cited her distaste for “hurting peoples feelings.”

“While I love discovering, supporting and nurturing young talent, ” DeGeneres says, “it was hard for me to judge people and sometimes hurt their feelings.”

Simon Fuller, Idol creator and Executive Producer said that he “loved Ellen’s passion for the artists and her nurturing skills.”  Adding that he “will miss her greatly.”

In a related story, sources tell TMZ that Kara Dioguardi has been fired from the show.  When asked for a comment, everyone in the country said “Who?”