Of course, this is not the first time that 'American Idol' is involved in a sex scandal. The only difference is that, this time, the producers of the show have taken no action against wannabe superstar Antonella Barba, whose sexy pictures you can find anywhere on the Internet if you're interested enough.

A site specialized in encouraging the public to vote the worst contestants on the show puts Antonella at the top of the chart of must-be-cast-offs. But, by some mystery or another, Miss Barba still holds on to her position, despite the scandal that took the web by storm almost a week ago. Soon, what started as some fun, posting photos of Antonella in more provocative poses, entered the field of outright hardcore pornography this past weekend.

Initially, the photos that were leaked on the Internet were nothing to complain about: they showed the aspiring Idol sitting on the toilet (useless to talk about the jokes on her expense, the likes of 'This year, American Idol contestants are potty trained'), topless on the beach with her girlfriends and partying at clubs. Then, there came others showing underage drinking and what could only be described as lesbian-like behavior. And others of steamy Antonella in her underwear and other 'interesting' outfits. But the big blow (speaking literally) was still to come: pics of Antonella giving a hearty blow job to some dude whose face is always out of focus and the, one day later, of her semi-naked in the fountain by the WWII Memorial.

And, still, there was no answer from the judges on 'Idol' or from the producers of the show. When the media tried to contact either of them, they would claim they have no knowledge of such photos being out there (what, is their Internet connection out?) and that they can't make a statement without having prior knowledge of the facts. So, it was left up to the public and to Antonella's friends to set the record straight.

According to friends of the New Jersey girl, all the leaked photos are real, except for the ones in which she is seen pleasuring that unknown guy. Of course, that doesn't solve the mystery of who sent the photos to bloggers and such, or why she is still on the show (past records show us that 'Idol' producers tolerate no kind of lewd behavior - remember when another contestant was booted for posing topless for an adult site?), but it does in a certain measure clear the girl's reputation. 'The really bad ones aren't her. I've studied them. It's not her nose. She's never had [acrylic nail] tips [like the woman in the photo] in her life. She's the least slutty person I know.', one of Antonella's best friends told the media.

The website we already mentioned claims the same: Antonella sucks only on the 'Idol' stage. And, for further proof, the administrator of the site went and did some research of his own and found the site from where the pornographic pics of the alleged 'Antonella' were taken. Antonella could not be reached for comment because, for the time being, she is not allowed to talk to the press. The 'Idol' producers, on the other hand, said that they would be 'looking into' the matter, which basically means... nothing! Barba is now considered to be on the verge of getting the boot from the show so, maybe, when she comes out, she would talk about this huge scandal. And perhaps do a photo shoot for 'Playboy' too? (See sexy photos HERE) One can only hope...