Antonella Barba, a former contestant on American Idol, has been arrested on charges of domestic violence, marking another legal issue for the singer.
According to TMZ, Barba was detained by the St. Pleasant Beach Police Department in New Jersey during a routine vehicle stop on Sunday night.
The 38-year-old singer had an outstanding warrant related to a recent domestic violence charge, which also breached the terms of her federal supervised release from a prior drug-related offense.
Following her arrest, Barba was released from the Essex County Correctional Facility on Tuesday. She is required to remain under home detention with electronic monitoring until her next court appearance, scheduled for April 29th.
DailyMail.com has reached out to Barba for her comments regarding the arrest.
Barba gained fame in 2007 on the popular singing show, advancing to the Top 16 before being eliminated. Jordin Sparks eventually won the season.
Former American Idol contestant Antonella Barba has been arrested on a domestic violence charge in her latest run-in with the law; pictured in a 2018 mugshot from a previous arrest
Barba caused a stir at the time after she was photographed posing in a wet t-shirt in the fountain of the World War Two Memorial.
She also made news during her time on the show after racy photographs of her were leaked to the internet.
The pictures showed Barba in various stages of undress. She acknowledged at the time that the photos were authentic but they were leaked without her consent.
In the years since American Idol, Barba remained in the entertainment industry but never caught her big break, having made a few music albums, acted minor roles in a couple of films and appeared in the 2012 season of Fear Factor.
However, she found herself embroiled in legal trouble over the years.
Her first brush with the law came in 2011, when she was arrested for shop-lifting in New York City and ordered to do community service.
But in 2019 she was sentenced to nearly four years behind for conspiring to distribute the highly-addictive opiate fentanyl in 2019.
The former reality star had pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl after she was busted trying to deliver nearly two pounds of the drug to a stash house in Virginia back in October 2018.
She ended up being released from federal prison in October 2021 but is still currently on five years of supervised released, according to TMZ.
Just over a year later, however, her probation officer claimed she allegedly moved out of her approved residence in Point Pleasant.
The officer was conducting a home visit in August 2022 when he learned she had relocated a month earlier.
Barbra subsequently agreed to adhere to a curfew and wear an electronic ankle bracelet.
The troubles continued in November 2024 after she allegedly got into a domestic violence dispute with an ex-partner identified only as ‘K.H.’ in court documents, according to TMZ.
K.H. has been accused of punching the American Idol vet in the face, her skin allegedly splitting open. The injury required stitches.
Barba appeared on the singing competition program in 2007, where she sang her way into the Top 16 before being eliminated
Her first brush with the law came in 2011, when she was arrested for shop-lifting in New York City and ordered to do community service; pictured 2010
Barba’s probation officer claimed she was thrown out of a domestic violence shelter in January 2024 after she revealed to K.H. where the organization was, compromising it’s location.
TMZ notes the duo allegedly had two others incidents last month, both of which got police involved.
As a result of her house arrest, she has been ordered to discontinue all contact with K.H. and family.
Barba previously admitted to making some ‘really bad choices’ following her release from prison.
In 2022 she opened up about her fears over putting herself ‘out there’ again and confessed to making some ‘really bad choices’ several years earlier; pictured 2017
In the years since American Idol, Barba remained in the entertainment industry but never caught her big break, having made a few music albums, acted minor roles in a couple of films and appeared in the 2012 season of Fear Factor
‘Real Talk: I’ve been scared to put myself out there. To be honest, approaching social media again, after not having access to it for 3 years, brings up a lot of anxiety,’ she wrote on Instagram in 2022.
‘A few years ago, I made some really bad choices. Choices that I regret. But I’ve learned that the only thing I can control is the choices that I make moving forward. Being on the inside taught me that life is short. 1 thing I know for sure is I’m deeply grateful to continue to be able to follow my dreams.
‘There are a few projects I’ve been working on, including some new music & a book that I’m looking forward to sharing more about when the time is right. For now, I’ll be sharing some photos from a few recent shoots. Thanks for sticking with me (you know who you are).’
