Antonella Barba this season's Frenchie? Entertainment Weekley wonders. The American Idol contestant and New Jersey native has been getting a lot of negative publicity lately due to some rather risque photos that have popped up on the Internet, including one of her in the bathroom and one alleged sex shot.

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Antonella Barba on 'American Idol'

Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe says that he has not seen any of the Internet pictures and that he only learned of the sexually explicit shots from EW. ''We have really good background checks on everybody, and we deal with that every season,'' he told EW. ''It's sad, isn't it, that your best friends are the ones that come forward with information that will go to Smoking Gun or put your photographs on the web?''

The risque photos of the 20-year-old contestant began circulating around the Internet earlier this week. Despite unimpressive reviews on American Idol for her off-key performance of ''I Don't Want to Miss a Thing'' this week, Barba somehow got through to the next round of the competition, EW reported.

In 2003, contestant Frenchie Davis got axed from the second season of Idol after the show found out she had worked for a porn Web site.

The police officer who arrested John Michael Montgomery last year for drunken driving was fired on Wednesday, according to CMT.com

AP file

John Michael Montgomery at a Country Music Association awards show.

Officials in Lexington, Ky., charged Officer Joshua Cromer with unbecoming conduct, dishonesty and insubordination after he arrested Montgomery near the singer's home about one year ago. After the arrest, Cromer altered a photograph to show himself posing with Montgomery and then posted it on his own MySpace page, CMT reported.

Montgomery's attorneys also say witnesses saw Cromer approach Montgomery in the Austin City Saloon in Lexington before the arrest. Before the firing, Cromer had been on suspension for a year, CMT said.

Montgomery entered a plea in August to the DUI charge, meaning that he did not admit guilt in the case but conceded there was enough evidence to convict him.

LOS ANGELES — Amanda Peet is a new mom.

 The Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip actress gave birth Tuesday to daughter Frances Pen, who weighed 6 pounds, 10 ounces, her publicist Brit Reece said Friday.

Amanda Peet

 Peet, 35, and screenwriter David Benioff were married last fall.

 Peet starred in the movies The Whole Nine Yards and its sequel, The Whole Ten Yards. In the Yards films she starred opposite Matthew Perry, her co-star on Studio 60. Her pregnancy was written into the show’s storyline.

 Studio 60 was pulled from NBC’s schedule this week after 15 episodes, although the network said the backstage Hollywood drama will return at some point this season.

AP

Olympic speedskating sensation Apolo Anton Ohno will put on his dancing shoes.

LOS ANGELES — Olympic speedskating sensation Apolo Anton Ohno will trade his skates for dancing shoes as a contestant on the upcoming season of Dancing With the Stars.

The five-time Olympic medalist joins former NBA star Clyde Drexler and boxer Laila Ali among the 11 contestants.

 Ohno, 24, will be the youngest contestant to compete on the ABC show, now in its fourth season. He’ll be paired with 18-year-old professional dancer Julianne Hough.

 While the other contestants have begun rehearsing in preparation for the show’s debut March 19, Ohno has some skating obligations he must tend to first.

 He’s competing in the U.S. short track nationals that end Sunday in Cleveland.

 Compiled by Laura L. Miller from wire and Internet reports