Antonella Barba, a former contestant on "American Idol," has been charged with shoplifting at a Target store in Ocean Township, New Jersey. The incident occurred on August 10, when Barba, 39, allegedly concealed items valued at less than $200 in a bag while using a fitting room and restroom. Police were called to the store around 3:19 p.m. and found Barba outside with the stolen items in her possession. She has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to appear in Ocean Township Municipal Court on November 18.
This incident adds to Barba's history of legal issues, which includes a 2010 shoplifting charge, federal fentanyl charges in 2018, and a domestic violence arrest in 2025. In 2010, Barba was arrested in Manhattan for allegedly stealing gloves worth $18.81 from Urban Outfitters, resulting in two misdemeanor charges and a sentence of one day of community service. In 2018, she was charged with drug trafficking, pleading guilty to possessing over 400 grams of fentanyl, leading to a 45-month prison sentence. Barba served her sentence from 2019 to 2021 and was placed on five years of supervised release.
In March 2025, Barba was arrested on a domestic violence charge involving her former partner, which violated her federal probation from the drug case. She was subsequently placed on home detention and ordered to have no contact with her ex-partner. After her time on "American Idol," Barba also appeared on "Fear Factor" in 2012 and had a minor role in the 2017 film "All About the Money."