‘American Idol’ Star Antonella Barba Arrested, Charged with Shoplifting from Target

ABC’s American Idol alum Antonella Barba was arrested last month after allegedly trying to steal from a Target in New Jersey.

Barba was charged with shoplifting from the Target at the Seaview Square Shopping Center in Ocean Township, New Jersey, on August 10, according to a report by NJ.com.

Authorities say the former American Idol contestant — who pleaded not guilty — stole and concealed merchandise valued at less than $200.

Target employees reportedly reviewed security footage that allegedly showed the 39-year-old hiding products in a bag as she went in and out of a dressing room and a restroom.

After being called to the Target, police saw Barba leave a restroom and immediately leave the store. Authorities then approached her as she was on her way out, at which point they allegedly found the unpaid-for items in her bag, according to the affidavit.

Barba — who appeared on American Idol‘s 6th season in 2007, and made it to the show’s top 16 — is now scheduled to appear in Ocean Township Municipal Court on November 18.

Notably, this is not Barba’s first run-in with the law. She was charged by federal authorities with drug trafficking in 2018, and was sentenced to four years in prison a year later, after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, NJ.com noted.

Barba — who, after her American Idol stint, returned to television in 2012 to compete on Fear Factor, and later appeared in a skit on Jimmy Kimmel Live! — also had another shoplifting bust in 2010, and was arrested for domestic violence just last year, according to a report by TMZ.

After her time on reality television, Barba ended up working as a vocalist while earning a bachelor’s degree in architecture.

Alana Mastrangelo-Wrask is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.