American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi has blamed the failing American economy for controversial crooner Adam Lambert being booted from two scheduled performances on ABC.

Earlier this week, Adam was axed from his planned Dec. 17 appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, as well as a gig on Dick Clark’s New Years Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest. While the network has made no comment on the move, critics fear the Idol runner-up has been banned from the network after his risque performance at last month’s American Music Awards.

Kara disagrees, instead blaming money woes for ABC’s sudden change of heart.

“We’re living in a pretty bad economic time, so they have to do what they have to do to keep their advertisers,” the songwriter told E! News columnist Marc Malkin. “Networks are doing what they think their viewers want and don’t want, so it’s just budgetary.”