Antonella Barba, the former American Idol finalist, has been arrested in New Jersey after police accused her of shoplifting from a Target store, marking another legal setback for the one-time reality TV contestant.
Barba, 39, was charged with allegedly taking merchandise valued at under $200 from the Target at Seaview Square Shopping Center in Ocean Township on August 10, according to NJ.com.
Police said officers were called to the store after Barba allegedly placed items into a bag while moving between a fitting room and a restroom inside the retailer.
Authorities claimed Barba then left the bathroom and headed directly toward the exit, where officers stopped her outside the store and allegedly discovered the unpaid items in the bag she was carrying.
Barba has pleaded not guilty and is due back in Ocean Township Municipal Court on November 18.
The singer rose to national attention on American Idol in 2007, advancing to the Top 16 before her elimination. Jordin Sparks went on to win that season.
Former American Idol finalist Antonella Barba, pictured at a Los Angeles Dodgers game in April 2017, was arrested after allegedly shoplifting from Target in New Jersey
Barba has faced multiple legal issues over the years, including a 2010 shoplifting case, federal fentanyl charges in 2018 and a domestic violence arrest last year; she is seen following her 2018 arrest
The singer has found herself in trouble with the law several times in her life including for shoplifting in 2010, federal fentanyl charges in 2018 and a domestic violence arrest last year.
In March 2025, she was arrested for domestic violence during a vehicle stop by Point Pleasant Beach Police Department in New Jersey.
Barba had a warrant out for her arrest for a recent domestic violence charge, and the order ended up violating her federal supervised release from her previous drug case.
Her first brush with the law came in December 2010, when she was arrested for shoplifting, allegedly $18.81 worth of gloves from Urban Outfitters, in New York City. She was charged with two misdemeanors and sentenced to one day of community service.
But in 2019, she was sentenced to nearly four years behind bars for conspiring to distribute the highly addictive opiate fentanyl after being charged by federal authorities in October 2018.
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.
She ended up being released from federal prison and on five years of supervised release in October 2021, 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 glamorous 39-year-old former reality show contestant (seen May 2009) was charged with stealing items worth less than $200 at Target in the Seaview Square Shopping Center in Ocean Township, New Jersey on August 10 according to NJ.com
Barba appeared on the singing competition program in 2007, where she sang her way into the Top 16 before being eliminated. Jordin Sparks was ultimately crowned the winner of her season
The officer was conducting a home visit in August 2022 when he learned she had relocated a month earlier.
Barba 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’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 its location.
TMZ notes the duo allegedly had two other 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 March 2025, she (seen in November 2010) was arrested for domestic violence during a vehicle stop by Point Pleasant Beach Police Department in New Jersey
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).’
She was also involved in controversy during her time on American Idol in 2007.
In 2019 Barba (seen December 2011) was sentenced to nearly four years behind for conspiring to distribute the highly-addictive opiate fentanyl after being charged by federal authorities in October 2018
Barba caused a stir at the time after she was photographed posing in a wet t-shirt in the fountain of the World War II 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 in minor roles in a couple of films and appeared in the 2012 season of Fear Factor.
