What New Scandal Will New 'Idol' Season Bring?
Scandals Abound Behind Scenes of 'American Idol'
American Idol Controversy
But Hibberd believes the show has not violated its compact with the audience."The conceit of 'Idol' is that they are finding undiscovered talent," Hibberd said. "The show shouldn't violate that. The fact that some of these contestants got some attention but haven't broken through in a major way, I think the producers were right not to arbitrarily exclude those people."
David Hernandez:
The other controversy that broke last season involved some scantily clad photos of Hernandez when he worked as a stripper at a mostly male Phoenix nightclub.
The show's producers were unfazed. Warwick told TV Guide's Web site: "We've had strippers on the show before. We're never judgmental about people who do things like that. If it were some sort of heavy porn, then maybe we'd have to take action. But certainly not on this."
"Idol" did dismiss contestant Frenchie Davis during Season 2 in 2003, after it was discovered that she had once appeared on an adult Web site.
The show left it to the fans to decide and they did pretty quickly -- Hernandez was the first of the 12 finalists to be eliminated.
Antonella Barba:
The year before, another set of racy photos made headlines. After topless photos of New York semifinalist Barba were leaked on the Internet, "Idol" took the unprecedented step of allowing her to stay.
Barba explained at the time that these "were photos of my personal life that got exploited without my consent."
Cowell defended her, telling USA Today, "These people haven't done anything illegal; that's their private life."
Hibberd said "Idol" fans shouldn't be surprised if more of these types of scandals turn up. "It goes with some of the exhibition qualities that drive people to audition for the show," he said.
But, he added, ultimately these sort of scandals affect voting, given the large number of young voters watching the show. Barba found that out, when she was eliminated before making it to the Top 12.
Mario Vasquez:
Vasquez's abrupt departure from Season 4 of "Idol" left fans speculating. When he dropped out of the finals in March 2005, he cited "personal reasons."
Two years later, it became apparent why. That's when a male "Idol" employee filed a lawsuit alleging that Vasquez had sexually harassed him while he was a contestant on the show. In the suit, former employee Magdaleno Olmos alleged that Vasquez followed him into a bathroom stall, touched him inappropriately and made advances toward him.
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