American Idol has been around since 2002. Since the show’s been on for nearly 24 years, fans are able to see contestants through each stage of their career. From their humble beginnings… to sometimes behind bars.
American Idol Contestants Who Have Been Arrested
Laine Hardy
In 2022, this American Idol winner was arrested for planting a listening device in his ex-girlfriend’s dorm room. He was charged for illegal wiretapping, but Hardy ultimately took a pretrial program which allowed him to avoid jail time and clear his record by completing strict conditions.
Today, Hardy is a father and a husband. With his wife, Jordan Gautreau Hardy, he shares son Hollis James Hardy, who was born in February 2025. His most recent song was released in January 2025.
In 2018, Glaze went viral for receiving his first kiss from none other than American Idol judge Katy Perry. Only a few years after this viral moment, Glaze made national headlines for possession of child sexual abuse material. Investigators found over 700 images and videos of child sexual abuse material.
He is now in jail for at least 15 years. He will have to perform a penile plethysmograph test, pass an Abel screening test. He is also banned from entering strip clubs, sex shops, massage parlors, or adult theaters. In addition, he is not permitted to look at pornography, call sex hotlines, or pick up hitchhikers.
Finally, Glaze must also wear appropriate clothing, specifically underwear, at all times. He also must submit regular blood samples to test for sexually transmitted diseases, and he must register as a sex offender.
Antonella Maria Barba
In April 2025, Barba, who took part in American Idol Season 6, was arrested on an outstanding warrant related to a domestic violence charge. This isn’t the first time she had been arrested. Her arrest history goes back to 2010, when she was charged with 2 misdemeanors for shoplifting in New York. In more recent years, she has been charged for attempting to distribute heroin. Barba has served 45 months in federal prison, with five years of supervised release.
Randy Madden
Former American Idol star Randy Madden was arrested on October 30, 2025 for alleged sexual encounters with a minor. His felony charges include unlawful sexual intercourse, anal and genital penetration by a foreign object, oral copulation of a person under 18, sending harmful matter, luring a minor, and dissuading a witness from reporting a crime.
Madden appeared in court via Zoom in early November, 2025. He pleaded not guilty to all counts and was released on $100,00 bail. Madden appeared on Season 8 of American Idol, but he didn’t make it past the audition round.
Caleb Kennedy
In 2022, Kennedy, who was 17 years old at the time, was arrested following a fatal DUI crash. He drove his pickup truck off the road and into a private garage, killing 54 year old Larry Duane Paris.
Two years later, Kennedy was sentenced to eight years in prison. He pleaded guilty to driving under the influence resulting in death. According to toxicology reports, he had THC and prescribed prozac in his system at the time of the crash.
Colin Stough
Stough was arrested in February 2025 after Tennessee highway patrol responded to a single-vehicle crash. He was arrested on charges of driving under the influence, underage consumption of alcohol, and failure to exercise due care.
He was later released on bail. Stough referenced his arrest in new song “White Trash,” which came out in May 2025. The song was released in the same month as his court appearance.
Doug Kiker
In 2021, Kiker was arrested on a third-degree domestic violence charge in Mobile, Alabama. He was arrested after police responded to a 911 tip. The investigation led police to arrest Kiker on probable cause. No further information regarding the 911 tipper and Kiker’s relationship was detailed. This case was closed in November 2022.
Unfortunately, Kiker passed away in March 2025 at the age of 32. He passed away from an accidental overdose of combined effects of fentanyl, methadone, and amphetamines, with recent cocaine use.
Jessica Cunningham
Cunningham differs from others on this list, because her arrest was in 2011. In June 2011, the singer was arrested on a domestic violence charge in Portland, Maine. She was taken into custody after a police officer witnessed her hit her husband in the face several times during an argument outside of a hotel.
Her husband did not want to press charges, but the officer arrested her anyway. She was later released on bail.
Tyrell Jenkins
In December 2023, Jenkins was arrested in New Orleans, Louisiana on one count of domestic abuse battery. Although no details regarding the situation were released, information regarding the court appearance is available. During the appearance Jenkins asked for a low bond, stating that he had a pregnant girlfriend and a pending case in Jefferson Parish. His bond was $1,500 and the victim stated she did not want a restraining order.
Tamara Taylor Vaifanua
In February 2012, Vaifanua was arrested in southern Utah on two counts of Class B misdemeanor theft related to alleged incidents that occurred in a northern Utah suburb in September 2010.
Arrest warrants were issued after she failed to appear in court on the original charges. Vaifanua was released after a $2,529 bail.
Cases mentioned in this article are only some of the most recent. American Idol returns to ABC on Monday, January 26, 2026, at 8 PM ET.
Words by:
Corey Cesare Corey Cesare is Talent Recap's Managing Editor and featured YouTube Host. She has a love of all things pop culture and an unhealthy obsession with celebrities. Corey earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Cinema/Screen Studies from the State University of New York at Oswego in 2021. She spends her spare time shooting astro, nature, and portrait photography, and coming up with movie ideas that she hopes to make into a film someday.
