WTF: Former 'American Idol' Star Arrested for Heroin Distribution

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Former American Idol Star Antonella Barba Arrested For Heroin Distribution

Former American Idol contestant Antonella Barba has been busted for alleged distribution of heroin, according to the people over at TMZ.

The publication is reporting that Barba was arrested earlier this week, on the morning of October 11 while in Norfolk, VA. She is being charged with heroin distribution of more than 100 grams, which is a felony in the state along with carrying a sentence of up to 40 years in prison–some pretty serious business.

The time that Barba spent on Idol wasn’t very long, but she still managed to make a big impact on fans. The singing hopeful made it to the cusp of the show’s top 12 round before being eliminated in a season that ultimately ended up being won by none other than Jordin Sparks. Antonella’s short stint on the competition also managed to stir up a bit of controversy after photos of her posing in a wet t-shirt while in Washington D.C.’s National World War II Museum Memorial fountain were surfacing around the internet.

Since being eliminated from the competition so many years back, Barba has only appeared on national television a few more times. She competed on Fear Factor in 2012, where the show oddly made absolutely no mention of her being a former American Idol contestant at all. She also appeared in a recent sketch on Jimmy Kimmel Live! that pulled together former Idol contestants for a musical “Where Are They Now?” segment. This also isn’t Barba’s first confrontation with the law–Before her Fear Factor appearance 6 years ago, she was busted for shoplifting in New York City in 2011.

As far as American Idol goes, the original run of the program lasted 15 seasons before Fox pulled the plug back in April 2016. The show returned for a 16th season on ABC earlier this year, with its old panel of judges wiped out and replaced with Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie.