News / Entertainment
American Idol Contestant, Antonella Barba, Linked to Topless Photos
American Idol contestant Antonella Barba has been getting a little more exposure than she bargained for since appearing on the hit reality show. The 20-year-old singer from Point Pleasant, N.J. is now one of the most searched names on the internet and it has nothing to do with her voice.
An anonymous individual has posted topless pictures of the brunette and has caused quite a scandal, leaving many to question Barba’s chances of advancing much further on American Idol.
In 2003 Frenchie Davis was booted off American Idol after producers discovered she had appeared on an adult Web site.
While the photos of Barba are not as damaging as those of Davis they could still sway the public’s decision to keep her on the show. It is not known who began circulating the photos but many suspect a friend of Barba did the damage.
American Idol has relied heavily on background checks of their contestants to ensure they are not carrying individuals whose past may come back to bite them. There have been several contestant who have been removed due to police records and conduct that didn’t meet the standards set by American Idol producers.
One of those producers, Nigel Lythgoe, said that he had not seen the photos of Barba but that “It's sad, isn't it, that your best friends are the ones that come forward with information that will go to Smoking Gun or put your photographs on the Web?”
The pictures of Barba are not expected to get her kicked off American Idol.
