Celebrity SnapShots: Antonella Barba - Latest Photos

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American Idol Defends Antonella Barba

After much buzz over the controversial photos of American Idol season 6 semi-finalist Antonella Barba, Nigel Lythgoe, producer of American Idol, has declared that despite the surfacing of her titillating photos, she will not be disqualified from the popular reality show.

The producer adds, "It won't effect anything, Antonella is about her looks and her talent and that's the only thing that will effect her journey on American Idol… her fate is in the voters' hands.”

Barba, a 20-year old Point Pleasant, New Jersey native, is a student taking up architecture at the Catholic University in Washington, D.C. She acquired her interest in music ever since she was a child, specializing in piano and violin. In addition, she previously toured with the Monmouth Conservatory of Music.

The aspiring star has been upset over the distasteful rumors. And to furnish support, notorious American Idol judge Simon Cowell attested, "These people haven't done anything illegal; that's their private life…[The photos should] not affect her standing on the show, and if the public wants to keep her in, they'll keep her in."

Moreover, judge Randy Jackson adds, "Nobody's clean in the entertainment business… There are definitely some moral things that go on with this show." Furthermore, Idol host Ryan Seacrest also voiced out her support for the troubled contestant despite not having seen the much talked about provocative photos. "[I would] absolutely let [Barba] stay on. If American Idol is a true representation of American youth, we're going to find imperfections, Seacrest told USA Today. "And it's OK to be imperfect."

Will Barba also gain the support of the viewers or will her bad buzz ruin her chances of becoming the next American Idol? Stay tuned for the rest of the season to find out. American Idol airs Tuesdays at 8:00 PM on FOX. More...

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