'American Idol' Winner Laine Hardy Arrested on Felony Charge

A woman who identifies as Laine Hardy's ex-girlfriend says the American Idol winner hid a recording device in her dorm room at LSU earlier this year. On Friday (April 29), Hardy answered those charges, voluntarily arriving to the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison in a police cruiser for processing.

The victim is not identified in police documents shared by the New York Post, but in addition to her statements, she gave police evidence of Hardy's alleged illegal surveillance. He's being charged with Interception and Disclosure of Wire, Electronic or Oral Communication, a felony that — per WAFB-TV in Baton Rouge — is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Earlier, Hardy issued a statement on social media letting his followers know he was cooperating.

The alleged crime occurred in February of 2022, with LSU PD becoming aware of the situation on April 7. The previous night, the victim and a friend discovered a recording device under her bed that looked like a phone charger. It was actually a VR-500 Voice Activated Recorder. She told police she believed Hardy was responsible for leaving it there, as he'd previously admitted to leaving a "bug" in her room. She also shared an incriminating photo taken via screenshot from Snapchat.

On the recorder, police say they first heard someone sounding like Hardy transporting the recorder to the dorm room. His first name is also used. Later police heard the victim talking to a friend, and in a separate recording, she's heard talking to her mother about breaking up with Hardy. The recorder leaves the dorm room at some point and later returns, and on a recording dated Feb. 20, police heard the victim saying she figured out Hardy had recorded her but wasn't sure if the recorder was still in her room.

Hardy won Season 17 of American Idol, later teaming with producer Michael Knox to craft his debut album, Here's to Anyone. On Monday (May 2), Hardy is set to return to American Idol to perform with Laci Kaye Booth.

Country 'American Idol' Stars Who Disappeared

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What happened to some of country music's best American Idol contestants over the last 20 years? This list of country American Idol stars who disappeared includes a winner, a runner-up and a third place finisher, plus several early cuts who enjoyed radio success before losing touch with fans.

PICTURES: See Inside Carrie Underwood's Beautiful Post-'American Idol' Home

Carrie Underwood invested her money wisely after winning American Idol in 2005. One of her first big purchases was a 3,099-square-foot home in the well-to-do Nashville suburb of Franklin, Tenn. Underwood paid $384,000 for a luxurious 3-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom stone and stucco home in a private gated community.

The house features a library, a vaulted ceiling and lovely amenities throughout, but while it's very nice, it's certainly not the kind of home you'd picture for a budding country superstar. Underwood wound up being a huge success right out of the gate with her debut album, Some Hearts, and she sold the home in Franklin for $372,500 in 2007, when she purchased the Brentwood mansion that she would later share with her husband, Mike Fisher.

Source: ‘American Idol’ Winner Laine Hardy Arrested, Facing Felony Charge

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