Former American Idol contestant Antonella Barba has been arrested again, this time in New Jersey, for violating her federal probation. The 38-year-old singer was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service on Sunday, according to officials.
Barba’s arrest stems from a recent domestic violence charge filed two weeks ago, which violated the terms of her supervised release from a previous federal conviction. The New Jersey district court issued a warrant, leading to her latest arrest.
Court documents show that Barba was released under home detention and ordered to have no contact with her ex-partner, identified as K.H., due to what the court described as a “tumultuous relationship.”
Barba, who rose to fame as a top 16 finalist on Season 6 of American Idol in 2007, has faced multiple legal issues in recent years. In 2019, she was sentenced to 45 months in federal prison for possession of nearly two pounds of fentanyl with intent to distribute. Following her release in 2021, she was placed on supervised probation for five years.
Since then, Barba has been involved in several legal run-ins, including a February arrest for trespassing after refusing to leave a hotel in California.
Her initial 2018 drug arrest occurred during an investigation into a known drug supplier. Barba was found in a vehicle near a stash location with a shoebox of fentanyl on the passenger floor.
In a 2020 interview from prison, Barba expressed regret over her past decisions:
“I definitely made a wrong decision. I was there. I wish I never did it but at this point I’m just trying to make the best of where I’m at. I definitely do want to show an example to people that you can be at your lowest low and still rise above.”
Barba is expected to remain on home detention pending further legal proceedings.
