American Idol has seen a lot of success stories; however, not every contestant on the popular competition series has gone on to become famous. In fact, former contestant Antonella Barba is gaining notoriety now for a very different reason. A new report indicates she was arrested last week and is facing a felony heroin charge.
Per reports, Antonella Barba was picked up in Virgina on Thursday at 11:30 a.m. The charges she is facing include a felony charge of heroin distribution. The felony charge is related to attempting to distribute 100 grams of the drug, and according to the Norfolk Sheriff's Office, the charge could lead her to head to jail for as few as 5 and as many as 40 years if the singer ends up getting convicted.
TMZ first reported the news, noting that over the weekend, Antonella Barba was still in jail and was being held without bond. She reportedly will go to court for the first time next week.
Antonella Barba was a contestant on Season 6 of American Idol, the season that Jordin Sparks ended up winning. Blake Lewis and Melinda Doolittle were the other finalists, and Barba ended up being eliminated before the Top 12. Her episodes aired on Fox back in 2007. Since then, Barba has been in the public eye for various TV appearances, but also for a couple of notable stunts. In 2007, she posed topless in a fountain at a World War II memorial and the photos leaked. In 2011, she was also arrested for shoplifting.
The singer is still active in her singing career. She had a "Santa" iTunes release one holiday season and sang the National Anthem at a Dodger game. She also performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live! over the summer as part of a segment that brought back some of the former American Idol contestants.
Antonella Barba was in the mix, along with Scott MacIntyre, Ruben Studdard. Taylor Hicks, Haley Reinhart, Sanjaya, Kevin Covais, William Hung, Reynaldo Lapuz and Larry Platt. Take a look.
Heroin use and distribution has been on the rise in the United States in recent years thanks to availability as well as the cutback on opoids such as Oxycodone. The age range for heroin use and the ability to access it across the country, even in smaller towns and rural areas, has grown as well.
While Antonella Barba's case move throughs the court still, we'll be sure to keep you updated. As for American Idol, the singing competition returned to the airwaves last spring, although it ran on ABC rather than its original home Fox. Season 17 is expected to air with Ryan Seacrest back as host.
