American Idol

"American Idol" winner Laine Hardy has a warrant issued for his arrest ... but the allegations remain a mystery.

The 2019 'AI' is under "active investigation" by the Louisiana State University Police Dept. ... Ernie​ Ballard, a rep for the University tells TMZ. The rep declined to elaborate on the allegations.

Ditto the 21-year-old country singer ... who said on social media Thursday, "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."

Hardy, who says he's "fully cooperative" with the PD, added ... "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."

It's unclear when Hardy will turn himself into authorities.

Grace Franklin -- 16-year-old granddaughter of Aretha Franklin -- is opening up after not making it past the auditions on "American Idol" ... a TV moment that's shocked the country.

Grace -- joined by her dad and Aretha's son, Kecalf -- tells TMZ ... in the moment of being rejected from going to Hollywood, she was pretty disappointed ... but it was the words of judge Lionel Richie that made her realize there's a silver lining to all of this.

Judge Lionel mentioned he didn't want her to stumble too early in her career -- something she's noticed happens to some younger singers. She took his words to heart, coming from a place of love and concern.

Grace says, "I'm a good artist, I know that, but I do know I need to work on some things."

Kecalf couldn't be prouder of his daughter, telling us she's bold for stepping out of her comfort zone and chasing her dreams.

However, Grace says auditioning for 'Idol' in the future isn't likely ... telling us she'd rather try to release some music while working on her voice.

David Oliver Willis, who repeatedly appeared on "American Idol," has been arrested, after police found LSD in his car ... TMZ has learned.

According to docs obtained by TMZ ... David was pulled over last Friday in Lake County Florida for a malfunctioning headlight.

The officer says they could smell marijuana billowing from the car and proceeded to search the vehicle. Cops say they found a grinder and baggies containing several small squares of paper that tested positive for LSD.

Officers say David admitted to smoking weed with a friend prior to driving ... but claimed the LSD did not belong to him.

Because he was the only person in the vehicle during the stop, officers arrested Willis and booked him for possession of a controlled substance (LSD) ... a third-degree felony. He's due back in court next month.

As you might recall, David has had a long run with "American Idol." He appeared on season 12, season 13, and he came back for season 14.

Caleb Kennedy -- a finalist on the last season of "American Idol" - was arrested Tuesday for felony DUI ... cops say he crashed his car into a building, killing someone inside.

The South Carolina Highway Patrol tells TMZ ... Caleb was behind the wheel of a 2011 Ford pickup truck when the vehicle struck a building on a private drive.

Police say there was a person inside the building who sustained fatal injuries as a result of a collision. Caleb was arrested and charged with felony DUI resulting in death ... and the 17-year-old is still in police custody.

As you can see, photos from the crash scene show a truck lodged into what appears to be a detached garage ... and there's a ton of damage.

SCHP says the crash is under investigation.

You'll recall ... Caleb was one of the final 5 contestants last year on 'Idol' but he exited the show when a video surfaced showing him sitting next to someone wearing a Ku Klux Klan-like hood.

Before his unceremonious exit, Caleb wowed 'Idol' judges and fans with his rendition of Coldplay's hit, "Violet Hill," in what ended up being his final performance on the show.

Simon Cowell did it again ... he crashed his e-bike and landed in the hospital with broken bones.

Sources tell TMZ ... Simon was tooling around on the bike in London last Thursday when he turned a sharp corner ... or at least he tried to turn. The road was wet and the tires went out from under him and he crashed to the ground.

We're told Simon broke his left arm and badly bruised his cheek. He may have also have suffered a concussion.

Simon went to the hospital where he was treated and released the same day, sporting a bright yellow cast.

As we reported, this was not Simon's first crash ... in August, 2020, he got a brand-spankin' new e-bike and literally got on it in his driveway and it lunged forward, crashing and as a result, Simon broke his back in 3 places.

Now, if Simon happens to read this ... wear a helmet, dude!!! He wasn't wearing one in either crash, and but for the grace of God, he could have suffered way more severe injuries.

Meat Loaf would stick to the old adage of the show must go on, and Caleb Johnson -- who sings in the late rocker's band -- says that's exactly what the Neverland Express plans to do.

The season 13 'American Idol' champ is doing his best to fill Meat's shoes on the BAT tour, and he tells TMZ ... he's confident the boss wouldn't want them to quit just because he's no longer here.

Instead, Caleb says Meat Loaf's band will keep plugging along with their Music of Meat Loaf shows ... and they're planning some tributes to the man behind the music.

Caleb got Meat Loaf's blessing a few years back to become the lead singer for Neverland Express ... and they've been touring since 2018, with Meat Loaf even joining them on stage last year during a show in Nashville.

As you know ... Meat Loaf died Thursday night after falling critically ill with COVID.

It's a sad moment for the rock world, but Caleb says the band plans to take the stage for its next scheduled show Feb. 4 in Uncasville, CT ... because that's what Meat Loaf would have wanted.

Still, Caleb admits he will be feeling the pressure to keep Meat's legacy alive ... explaining why it's so hard to sing the man's famous rock tunes.

Chris Daughtry's daughter Hannah Price died from suicide by hanging, while under the influence of narcotics... this according to her family.

TMZ broke the story ... Hannah was found dead in her home back in November, although the cause of death was uncertain at the time. The Daughtry family now says Hannah took her own life.

Deanna and Chris said Hannah struggled with mental illness and later turned to drugs and found herself in abusive relationships, adding, "We did everything we could to support her and get her the help she needed to recover from these tragedies and get her life back on track."

Law enforcement told us Hannah's boyfriend Bobby was arrested the same day her body was found... at the time, police didn't reveal the reason behind his arrest.

Chris and Deanna now say the morning of her death, she contacted her parents in fear for her life... claiming her boyfriend had physically abused her. When officers arrived, they concluded she was fine. After her death, Bobby was arrested on an unrelated matter.

Chris Daughtry said he was absolutely devastated and heartbroken, in an emotional Instagram post... and canceled his concert tour.

Chris and his wife Deanna met back in 2000... Deanna had two children-- Hannah and her brother Griffin -- from a previous relationship. Chris and Deanna later had twins Adalynn Rose and Noah James.

Hannah was 25.

Chris Daughtry has put the brakes on his concert tour ... this after the death of his daughter.

25-year-old Hannah Daughtry was found dead Friday at her home. The death was sudden, although no details have been provided.

Chris's band released a statement about the cancelation ... "Due to the unexpected death of Chris and Deanna Daughtry's daughter, Hannah, all currently scheduled shows for the coming week for Daughtry have been postponed."

The statement goes on to say ... "The Daughtry family thanks you for your understanding and respectfully asks for privacy during this very difficult time. Further details will be made available at a later date. The investigation into this tragic death is still ongoing."

Hannah and her brother Griffin, 23, are Deanna's children from a previous relationship. Chris, 41, and Deanna, 48, who met in 2000, also share twins Adalynn Rose and Noah James, 10.

Celebs and retired fight stars beating the hell out of each other in boxing matches is GOOD for the sport ... so says Nigel Lythgoe, who claims the spectacles are reviving interest in the sweet science in a big way.

The former "American Idol" producer broke it all down for Harvey and Charlie on "TMZ Live" on Tuesday ... explaining the Jake Pauls and the Bryce Halls of the world are breathing life into a sport that he says was struggling.

"[Boxing] needed something," Lythgoe said. "Because mixed martial arts really took over a little bit and we'd lost a lot of heroes like Muhammad Ali."

"We're losing heroes," he added. "So, we've got to find some other way of attracting young people to boxing again."

And, Lythgoe says he's got the perfect formula for that -- by continuing to help grow the celeb boxing game.

Lythgoe is currently producing Triller Fight Club's "Legends II" event ... which will feature an Oscar De La Hoya vs. Vitor Belfort fight, along with a ton of big-time musical performances in the leadup to the Sept. 11 tilt.

Lythgoe is also in the process of creating a new competition show called "So You Think You Can Fight," which is hoping to ultimately inject even more celebs into the fight game.

"I think it is the way of the future," Lythgoe said of the new-age fight nights. "We've just been to Madison Square Garden with Triller Verzus and that is the Triller Fight Club and Verzuz."

"American Idol" finalist Syesha Mercado broke down in tears describing how she's been missing out on precious moments with her babies since child protective services took them from her.

Syesha held a news conference Tuesday to explain how she's been deprived of holding and feeding her newborn daughter, Ast ... while also missing her toddler son, Amen'Ra, who was put in foster care back in March. Syesha said she's also upset about her kids not getting to meet.

She was joined by the babies' father, Tyron Deener, who said they are law-abiding citizens who live a life of service and can't understand why someone with no criminal background is being hounded by the police.

As we reported ... Syesha sobbed as she reluctantly handed over Ast to Manatee County Sheriff's deputies last week in Florida. The department has since said they picked up the baby by order of a family court judge.

Amen'Ra was taken from her following a hospital visit where a doctor claimed the boy was malnourished. Last week, deputies told Syesha and Tyron they were taking Ast because they didn't tell authorities she'd given birth during their ongoing legal battle for their son.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump has now gotten involved in Syesha's case ... calling out the deputies for making a spectacle out of a Black family and "publicly dehumanizing them." He vows to help Syesha and Tyron get their kids back.

This video shows former "American Idol" finalist Syesha Mercado absolutely beside herself, in tears, as law enforcement takes her newborn baby following a child protective services investigation ... and the video is stirring outrage.

Syesha sobbed as she reluctantly handed over her baby daughter to Manatee County Sheriff's deputies Wednesday in Florida. Cops insisted she surrender the child during a welfare check.

You see Syesha begging the deputies not to take her baby ... then pumping breast milk into a bottle to send off with her daughter, who was eventually taken away in the back of a SUV.

The newborn is reportedly the second child authorities have taken from Syesha this year. Her toddler son was placed in foster care following a hospital visit where a doctor sounded an alarm, claiming the boy was malnourished.

In this video, Syesha asks law enforcement why they're taking her baby girl, and she's told it's because she didn't tell authorities she'd given birth while the legal battle for custody of her son was ongoing.

Syesha insists her newborn is happy and healthy, claiming she has all the paperwork to keep the kid, and saying cops should have contacted her attorney -- but in the end, she lost custody.

The emotional video is sparking outrage online, with some folks accusing authorities of racism.

There are a couple simple things Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez need to do to make their relationship last this time around -- and Simon Cowell has the one-two recipe.

The 'Idol' vet and music producer was out for a bike ride in L.A. with his girlfriend, Lauren, and their son when a photog asked if he had any advice for Bennifer 2.0 as they head down the couple's path once again some 20 years later.

Now, first off ... you'd think Simon's familiar with Jen after her stint as an "American Idol" judge -- even though he'd left the show by then -- but he had no clue about her reunion with Ben.

Lauren sure did, and insisted she'd downloaded him on all the hot gossip. Before Simon could offer his wisdom, she actually chipped in with her 2 cents ... and then he added a nickel's worth.

You gotta hear Simon's POV on how to make romance work. In classic Cowell fashion, the dude kept it as real as ever with his response. He didn't elaborate much on the why, but it sounds like he's speaking from personal experience.

Kelly Clarkson will be coughing up almost a quarter of a million dollars every 30 days to her ex-husband in the fallout of their divorce, at least for now ... TMZ has learned.

The judge in her divorce recently signed off on docs formalizing the temporary spousal and child support Kelly will pay Brandon Blackstock -- it's nearly $200k/mo. according to the docs. We're told the ruling actually happened in April, and it merely formalized what Kelly had already been paying her ex since she filed for divorce last June.

According to the docs, Brandon will get $150k in spousal support and $45,601 for their 2 kids. Hard to think of that huge amount as a discount for Kelly, however ... Brandon had requested $436k per month. So, with that in mind, it's a bit of a win for KC.

She does also have to fork over a one-time $1.25 million payment to cover Brandon's attorney fees.

Once the divorce is settled, we're told Brandon will only get 2 more years of spousal support, based on the length of their marriage. The unresolved issue is their prenup. If the judge determines it's valid, all those support numbers go out the window, and Brandon will get whatever is spelled out in the prenup.

Kelly was also awarded primary custody of their children -- 6-year-old River and 4-year-old Remy -- a little while back.

Ron Bultongez -- a former 'American Idol' contestant who made it pretty far during his 2018 season -- is facing multiple counts of sex with a minor in his home state.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the singer and one-time 'Idol' sensation was arrested in Grapevine, TX when he turned himself in on July 15.

We're still gathering details of the allegations, but according to the Tarrant County D.A.'s charging documents, Bultongez is charged with 4 counts of sexual penetration of a minor under the age of 17 on 4 occasions.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, prosecutors say the alleged incidents occurred between December 2020 and February 2021.

Bultongez was released from custody a couple days after his arrest ... once he posted a $50,000 bond. We're told he has not made his initial court appearance yet to face the charges.

David Archuleta -- one of "American Idol's" famous runner-ups throughout its history -- just came out as being part of the LGBTQ+ community ... which he explains is especially difficult considering his religious upbringing.

The 'AI' alum -- who placed second during the 7th season of 'Idol,' losing to David Cook -- just shared his truth online, posting a heartfelt IG that revealed he identifies as both bisexual and asexual ... even though he says he initially thought he might've been gay.

David writes, "I came out in 2014 as gay to my family. But then I had similar feelings for both genders so maybe a spectrum of bisexual. Then I also have learned I don’t have too much sexual desires and urges as most people which works I guess because I have a commitment to save myself until marriage." He goes on to explain asexual seems to, at times, describe him best ... while adding he's doing this to help others who might be in similar situations.

Namely, DA says he wants folks who are devoted to their religion and who might also be gay, bi or anything else that they are not alone ... as he explains that he comes from a Mormon background himself. Basically, David says you can both be religious and identify as LGBTQ+.

He says, "[P]lease consider making room to be more understanding and compassionate to those who are LGBTQIA+, and those who are a part of that community and trying to find that balance with their faith which also is a huge part of their identity like myself." DA goes on, "I think we can do better as people of faith and Christians, including Latter-day Saints, to listen more to the wrestle between being LGBTQIA+ and a person of faith."

"American Idol" sensation Casey Bishop may have to put her summer plans on hold ... 'cause it looks like she's on track to make a nice chunk of change if she's chosen for the live tour.

The 16-year-old high schooler from Fort Myers, FL could rake in a bunch of money if everything goes right ... starting with her being chosen for the 'AI' Live Tour.

According to her minor's contract, obtained by TMZ, Casey would make $1,750/week for her musical performances, $1,200/week for rehearsals and $500 per non-musical appearance at things like meet-and-greets. She also gets a cut of the tour merchandise profit.

'AI' Live Tours are usually 50-date tours ... so Casey could be livin' large this summer. FYI: the tour contracts are drawn up before the 'Idol' competition plays out, and everyone in the top 24 signs them.

The tour roster hasn't been announced yet, but Casey finished fourth after rocking the hell out of her performances -- she had impressive renditions of Billie Eilish and Mötley Crüe hits -- so she's got a great shot.

BTW ... had the 'AI' fan favorite won the whole thing she could have scored a sweet $250k advance on her record deal ... and made even more with sales and royalties.