Could Fantasia Barrino's Sex Scandal Ruin Her Career?

In 2009, gossip website MediaTakeout.com was the first to report that American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino was romantically involved with a married man named Antwaun Cook. According to reports, Fantasia met the hunky young man at a T-Mobile cellular store where he worked in North Carolina. Much controversy surrounded the story. But with gossip also comes denial from multiple parties. We didn't really want to believe that American Idol's singing underdog from 2004 could be involved in something so seedy.

But then, we all saw the infamous tattoo -Cook's name plastered near her left shoulder. Again, allegations of romantic involvement were denied. Ironically, Fantasia remarked that she had no one's name on her shoulder - which the world found strange, considering they had already seen the tattoo online. Subsequent public appearances showed Fantasia with one-sleeved shirts and dresses to cover that shoulder. (Hmmm...)

But as January 2010 rounded the corner it appeared that Antwaun had returned to his family; the affair apparently had cooled. Fast forward just a bit, and you'll find that the pot of gossip was again stirred. Photos of Fantasia and Antwaun popped onto the Internet once again - this time with the pair frolicking in the waves on a jet ski. Cook's estranged wife (a teacher) had had enough. Researching North Carolina criminal conversion law, she discovered that she had a leg to stand on after all. Mrs. Cook was entitled to sue Fantasia Barrino for damages, for effectively disrupting her marriage.

Oh, and the plot thickens. The most recent report on Mediatakeout.com has revealed some pretty nasty sentiments issued by the American Idol singer. According to Cook's estranged wife, Fantasia has even called the marital home, taunting and verbally humiliating her. ("He don't want you...maybe next time you get a husband, you'll know what to do to keep him.") And yes, there is the requisite sex tape that allegedly shows the pair getting it on. It seems that Mrs. Cook has all the proof she needs to make her case in court.

There's no telling exactly how much Antwaun Cook's wife could score in the lawsuit. Possibly multiple millions... The question is: should Fantasia be successfully sued, will she be able to survive musically? (or survive at all for that matter?) Her reality show showed her struggling to support multiple members of her family. She was also waiting for the go-ahead for the sluggish release of her next single. And it wasn't that long ago that Simon Cowell (former American Idol judge) helped her out of foreclosure. A lawsuit could not only ruin her financially, but she might also find her fans quickly drifting away. With the onslaught of extramarital rubbish smeared all over the tabloids every day, fans may be fresh out of sympathy for their "favorite" singer who appears to have taken on the role of "Homewrecker."

Will Fantasia be offered new projects? Will a scandal affect the way music execs value her as a commodity? Will she still have enough fans to pack concert halls? We are a fickle bunch. One could say that there isn't very much that gets in the way of good music. (After all, people are still buying Alicia Keys albums.) But in the wake of so many steamy sex scandals, people may grow weary of hearing about the same type of sleaze over and over again - especially from artists they used to respect.

SOURCES:

www.mediatakeout.com
www.radaronline.com
www.starmagazine.com