Antonella Barba, a former contestant on "American Idol," has been arrested and charged with shoplifting from a Target store in Ocean Township, New Jersey. The alleged incident occurred on August 10, involving items valued at less than $200.
According to police reports, Barba, 39, of East Orange, concealed items in a bag while using a fitting room and restroom before exiting the store. Officers apprehended her outside the establishment and reportedly found the stolen goods in her possession.
Barba pleaded not guilty to the charges and is scheduled to appear in Ocean Township Municipal Court on November 18. This event is the latest in a pattern of legal troubles for the singer.
Her past legal history includes a 2010 shoplifting arrest in Manhattan, where she was charged with stealing approximately $18.81 worth of gloves from an Urban Outfitters. She received a sentence of one day of community service for that offense.
In October 2018, Barba faced federal drug trafficking charges. She pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to distribute a significant quantity of fentanyl, over 830 grams, which authorities discovered hidden in a shoebox within a rental car in Norfolk, Virginia. She was sentenced to 45 months in prison and served her sentence from 2019 to 2021, followed by five years of supervised release.
More recently, in March 2025, Barba was arrested on a domestic violence charge involving her former partner. This arrest reportedly violated her federal probation from the drug case, leading to an arrest warrant in New Jersey.
She was released under home detention with an order to have no contact with her former partner.
Barba gained public attention in 2007 as a contestant on the sixth season of "American Idol," reaching the top 16. Her post-"Idol" career included appearances on "Fear Factor" in 2012, a role in the 2017 film "All About the Money," and a cameo in a "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" skit in 2018.