“American Idol” winner Laine Hardy was arrested Friday after an ex-girlfriend accused the singer of bugging her dorm room, according to a warrant.
Hardy, who won season 17 of the popular singing competition in 2019, was booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on a charge of interception and disclosure of wire, electronic or oral communication after LSU police arrested him, a school spokesperson told NBC News.
It was not clear Friday if he had an attorney in the case.
The arrest came hours after Hardy said in social media posts that he was cooperating with LSU police after a “sensitive” allegation was made against him. He did not provide additional details.
A spokesperson for LSU confirmed there was an “active investigation” with the school’s police department that involved the singer but declined to discuss the case Thursday night.
According to the warrant, police were called to Azalea Hall on April 7 after the ex-girlfriend discovered a recording device in her room.
“The victim stated that after googling the device she learned it to be a VR-500 Voice Activated Recorder,” the warrant states. “The victim reported that she believes the person whom left the record there to be her ex-boyfriend/Defendant (Laine Hardy.)”
She told authorities that she and Hardy dated from November 2021 until February. Hardy, 21, was raised in Livingston, Louisiana, east of Baton Rouge, where LSU is located. He is not a student at the school, according to the university.
“The victim advised that on the weekend of Feb 18th she found a fake Instagram account on the Defendant’s phone that he used to cover up that he was illegally recording her when he was not around,” the warrant states. “Note that the Defendant had information about the victim and her actions during Christmas break that was not known to the Defendant.”
The woman said she “immediately confronted him to which he admitted to her that he left a ‘bug’ in her room but later discarded it in his pond,” according to the warrant.
The recordings from February occurred in about five-hour intervals, the warrant states.
In the first recording from Feb. 10, audible sounds are heard such as vehicles, walking, entering an elevator and talking among people including “what sounds to be the Defendant occur,” according to the warrant. “Note the Defendant is a music recording artist, popular for winning American Idol and has a very distinguishable voice. The Defendant’s name, Laine, is also being heard said on several occasions.”
On another recording, dated Feb. 20, the warrant said the “victim is overheard telling someone about how she figured out the Defendant was recording her and she doesn’t know if the ‘bug’ is still in the room.”
In the posts, Hardy said he understood “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 added: “However, due to the sensitive nature of this allegation, I humbly ask for privacy at this time. I have utmost respect for the law and will assist in their investigation as needed moving forward.”
