American Idol winner Laine Hardy was taken into custody on charges of planting a listening device inside his ex-girlfriend's dorm room at Louisiana State University. According to a representative for the Louisiana State University Police Department, the 21-year-old was booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison for the violation of Louisiana statute 15:1303: Interception and Disclosure of Wire, Electronic, or Oral Communication.
Asking for privacy, Hardy's attorney confirmed that the singer did receive a warrant for his arrest and that he will continue to be cooperative with LSU police. According to the arrest warrant, his ex-girlfriend's called the police to Azalea Hall on April 7 after the victim and her roommate found a strange device under her futon. At first, the victim mistook it for a phone charger but after Google searching, she found out it was a VR-500 Voice Activated Recorder.
— Laine Hardy (@TheLaineHardy) April 29, 2022
After reviewing the files retrieved from that said recording device, authorities stated that they heard what they thought to be the country singer's voice as the device was delivered to the LSU student's dorm. The arrest warrant was then approved on April 27th. The victim also told police that the singer had previously recorded her using other means and allegedly admitted to planting a bug in her room.
The former American Idol contestant had first revealed that he had indeed received a warrant from the LSU Police Department through a statement that he shared on social media on Thursday night. "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 wrote.
"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 singer was set to appear on American Idol for its 20th-anniversary reunion celebration.
