Laine Hardy, a Louisiana native who won the 17th season of “American Idol,” has kept a low profile since his arrest in 2022.
The 23-year-old country singer from Livingston, Louisiana, did talked about his hopes for the future and his desire to move forward in life in an Oct. 5 Instagram post to his 540,000 followers.
In part, his message to fans said, “Looking forward to this next chapter of my life. I’ve learned to just simply be grateful for anything, good/bad, positive/negative. It shapes you from who you were to how you were to how you are to who you are now.”
Hardy made national headlines unrelated to his music career after he was arrested in April of 2022 in connection to placing a recording device in his ex-girlfriend’s Louisiana State University dorm room. He cooperated with Baton Rouge police in the investigation, his lawyer said.
East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore said Hardy was enrolled in a pre-trial intervention program created for those with first-time misdemeanors. He said the singer’s case could be dismissed if he completes all of the terms of the program. Hardy has not been billed by the DA or formally charged, Moore added.
Career-wise, in late 2023, Hardy is working on moving forward with recording music after leaving his record label, Disney Music Group, last October. In his announcement, he said he planned to take his career “in a new direction.”
In October, he created a GoFundMe titled “Get LH’s music out!” to raise money to fund studio recording sessions, travel expenses for Nashville trips and music promotion.
The singer pleaded for help in the fundraiser’s description, saying, “It’s a dream I’ve always had and I need y’all to make it come true. All donations go strictly to music production, instruments, DAW software plugins, my chicken coop studio equipment. Anything and everything music. I’m grateful for any donation.”
