Dreaming of becoming the next Kelly Clarkson, Antonella Barba found herself walking in her footsteps on American Idol. Taking the stage during season 6, Barba’s time on American Idol included a great deal of attention after unsavory photos appeared online. Sadly, Barba’s left the show after she landed in the Top 16. The years that followed brought trouble as the singer had more than a few encounters with law enforcement. Having spent time behind bars, Barba once again found herself in custody due to a domestic violence charge.
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On Sunday, Barba was pulled over by police in what seemed to be a usual traffic stop. The night turned worse when the officer noticed a warrant was out for her arrest over a domestic violence charge. The incident happened nearly two weeks prior. Already on federal probation due to former drug charges, the singer was booked at the Essex County Correctional Facility.
Able to post bail, Barba left the facility on Tuesday under the stipulation that she wear an electronic monitoring device. She was confined to home detention and must wear the device until her new court date on April 29th.
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Where It All Went Down Hill For Antonella Barba
Barba’s legal troubles first started back in December 2010 when she was caught shoplifting. Only having to serve community service, the singer appeared to learn her lesson. At least until 2018 when she faced a felony charge for trying to distribute heroin. That charge escalated a year later when she was slammed with 11 federal charges that included possession of fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine.
While Barba denied the charges, she eventually pleaded guilty and was sentenced to nearly four years in federal prison. Released in October 2021, the former contestant struggled to find her footing as her probation officer learned she was lying about where she was living.
The legal issues for Barba continued in November 2024 when she was involved in a domestic violence incident. Checking into a domestic violence shelter in January 2025, she ended up kicked out when sharing her location with a person named K.H., who was named in court documents as her ex-partner.
With Barba spending most of her time in trouble with the law, the once-rising star will have to wait until April 29th to learn her fate.
(Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
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