Rihanna and Chris Brown may be reuniting live for a performance on “American Idol,” which is suffering through its worst ratings since the show’s first season. The couple may be scorned, but they are the hottest act going at the moment.

Their appearance is reportedly in the talking stage and American Idol may be floating the rumors to see what kind of reaction it draws. But the show needs help, big time.

“They want Chris and Rihanna to reunite on the show,” an insider told E! News. “If they were to duet on Idol, it would be their first public appearance together, let alone their first live collaboration, since early 2009, when Brown was arrested for assaulting his then-girlfriend Rihanna.”

If the two got back together it would be like a redux of Ike and Tina Turner or Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown. We know how they turned out. Not Good. But this is show business, and if it sells, it plays.

The performance would be tantamount to Roy Horn, of the famous Siegfreid & Roy, climbing back into the cage with a tiger after being seriously mauled. In fact Roy retired.

But Brown and Rihanna have already been spending a lot of time together on the down low.

They recently contributed to remixes of their respective songs., Rihanna’s “Birthday Cake,” and Brown’s “Turn Up the Music.” So why not? The last time they appeared onstage together was in 2008.

Brown is unrepentant since the 2009 assault even though he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years probation. He had a major blow up before the American Music Awards, and was combative toward his critics after he won a Grammy.

In the most recent episode, he alleged snatched a fan’s $500 cell phone and drove off with it in his Bentley after she tried to snap a photograph of him. The fan is pressing charges that could send Brown to jail for up to four years.

Rihanna’s rep has already denied the rumor, saying, “It’s not true.” The network had no comment, according to E! News.

Fox’s “American Idol” slipped 16 percent in the ratings Wednesday (Feb. 22) night to 15.9 million viewers, 5.1 rating for adults 18-49. NBC rival, “The Voice,” finished with 16 million viewers and a 6.0 rating in the key demographic.