“American Idol” winner Laine Hardy will still appear on “American Idol” Monday night despite being arrested last week, Country Now has reported.
Laine Hardy will still appear on ‘American Idol’
“American Idol” is airing a 20th anniversary special Monday night, featuring past winners including Scotty McCreery, Maddie Poppe, David Cook, Kris Allen, Jordin Sparks, Ruben Stoddard and Hardy, who was arrested last week.
Hardy’s recent arrest will have no impact on Monday night’s show, as the special was pretaped in April, according to Country Now. But in promotions leading up to the Monday night show — including an “American Idol” Twitter announcement — Hardy’s name was removed from the lineup.
Why was ‘American Idol’ winner Laine Hardy arrested?
On April 28, Hardy announced that he was under investigation by the Louisiana State University Police Department, the New York Post reported.
- “I understand that my career has thrust me into the public spotlight, and I embrace that wholeheartedly as my entire world belongs to my music and my fans,” he shared with fans on Facebook. “However, due to the sensitive nature of this allegation, I humbly ask for privacy at this time. I have the utmost respect for the law and will assist in their investigation as needed moving forward.”
The 21-year-old country singer, who won “American Idol” in 2019, was arrested amid allegations that he placed a recording device in his ex-girlfriend’s dorm room at Louisiana State University. Hardy turned himself in on April 29 and was arrested for “interception and disclosure of wire, electronic or oral communications,” People magazine reported.
A Louisiana State student discovered a voice-activated recorder in her dorm earlier this month, and told police that she believed Hardy, her former boyfriend, put it there, according to People. The recordings, which began in February, included conversations between the victim and her mother about a possible breakup with Hardy.
According to booking documents, when the student confronted Hardy, he “admitted that he left a ‘bug’ in her room,” but had “later discarded it in his pond,” the New York Post reported.
Hardy’s crime carries a maximum penalty of a $10,000 fine and up to 10 years in prison, Yahoo reported.
How to watch ‘The Great Idol Reunion’
“The Great Idol Reunion” airs Monday night at 7 p.m. MDT on ABC.
- “It’s a testament to this show’s incredible legacy that we are able to celebrate 20 years of ‘American Idol’ in this extraordinary way,” showrunner Megan Michaels Wolflick said in a statement, per Deadline. “We are so thrilled to welcome back some of our most beloved alumni from over the years to reunite on the ‘Idol’ stage. ‘American Idol’ continues to create superstars just as it has done since 2002, and bringing back these ‘Idol’ icons is the perfect way to herald the next generation.”