Markets 
Former “American Idol” contestant Antonella Barba is accused of shoplifting from a Target store in New Jersey — as the singer finds herself in trouble with the law again.
Barba, 39, of East Orange, was charged with stealing items worth less than $200 at the Target in the Seaview Square Shopping Center in Ocean Township on Aug. 10, police said, according to NJ.com.
Police were called to the Target at about 3:19 p.m. after Barba allegedly concealed items in a bag while going in and out of a fitting room and restroom, police said.
Barba left the bathroom and immediately exited the store before officers approached her outside and allegedly found stolen items in the bag she was carrying.
She pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to appear in Ocean Township Municipal Court Nov. 18.
It’s the latest in a string of legal troubles for the former reality TV star, including a 2010 shoplifting bust, 2018 federal fentanyl charges and a 2025 domestic violence arrest.
The Point Pleasant native shot to fame in 2007 when she made it to the top 16 on “American Idol,” competing during the show’s sixth season, which “Battlefield” singer Jordin Sparks won.
But in December 2010, Barba was busted in Manhattan for allegedly stealing $18.81 worth of gloves from Urban Outfitters on Broadway, The Post reported at the time.
She was charged with two misdemeanors and sentenced to one day of community service.
Barba’s legal troubles escalated in October 2018, when federal authorities charged her with drug trafficking.
She pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and was sentenced to 45 months in prison in November 2019.
Police had arrested Barba in Norfolk, Va., after finding drugs hidden in a shoebox inside a rental car, and US Customs and Border Protection officials determined she was carrying more than 830 grams of fentanyl, nearly two pounds.
Barba served the sentence from 2019 to 2021 and was then placed on five years of supervised release.
Then, in March 2025, Barba was arrested on a domestic violence charge involving her former partner.
The arrest violated her federal probation from the drug case and led to a warrant for her arrest in New Jersey, according to TMZ.
She was released on home detention and ordered to have no contact with her ex-partner.
After “American Idol,” Barba competed on “Fear Factor” in 2012 and played a minor role in the 2017 film “All About the Money” before appearing in a “Where Are They Now?” “Idol” skit on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” in 2018.
Read the full article here
