‘American Idol’ Star Antonella Barba Arrested for Shoplifting at Target in New Jersey

American Idol alum Antonella Barba is once again facing criminal charges, this time for allegedly shoplifting from a Target store in New Jersey.

According to NJ.com, the 39-year-old former reality star was arrested and charged with stealing items worth less than $200 at the Target in the Seaview Square Shopping Center in Ocean Township on August 10. Per the police report, Barba allegedly concealed items in a bag while going in and out of a fitting room and restroom.

Police were called to the Target around 3:19 pm and approached Barba as she left the store. The officers allegedly found stolen items in the bag she was carrying. Barba pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to appear in Ocean Township Municipal Court on November 18.

This isn’t the first time Barba has had a run-in with the law, nor is it her first arrest for shoplifting. In December 2010, she was charged with two misdemeanors for stealing a pair of gloves worth $18.81 from a Manhattan Urban Outfitters store and was required to complete a day of community service.

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Last April, Barba was arrested on a domestic violence charge, which in turn violated her federal supervised release from a previous drug case. She’d done time in federal prison after being found guilty of possessing with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. She was released in October 2021 but is still on supervised release for five years.

She previously violated the terms of the release by moving out of her approved residence. After the violation, Barba was required to wear an electronic ankle bracelet and adhere to a curfew.

Barba rose to fame on the sixth season of American Idol in 2007, when she was just 19 years old. Despite mixed reviews from both the show’s judges and viewers, she made it through the auditions and onto the live shows before being eliminated in the Top 16. Jordin Sparks went on to win the season.