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‘Idol’ castoffs shocked, but hopeful

Last week, Sabrina Sloan, Sundance Head, Jared Cotter and Antonella Barba were booted off "American Idol." They sat down with to talk about leaving the show, their experiences and what's next.
/ Source: Access Hollywood

Last week, Sabrina Sloan, Sundance Head, Jared Cotter and Antonella Barba were booted off "American Idol." They sat down with Access Hollywood to talk about leaving the show, their experiences and what's next.

I think the judges were completely shocked that you guys were gone. Were you shocked as well?
Sabrina:
Definitely. Everybody wanted to be in the top 12 and we really kind of planned for it and hoped for it, ready to sing with Diana Ross next week and now.

Sundance: Yeah, that was gonna be good.

Sabrina: We were really looking forward to it so it's heartbreaking. It happens to everyone at some point.

What did you say to yourself the night you were booted off ‘Idol,' before you went to sleep?
Sundance:
I still haven't taken the time to look back and reflect on anything. It's happening so fast. A bunch of events popped into my life. I'm just ready to go home, spend some time with my family, try to find where I belong, I guess.

Would you have liked to have learned sooner yesterday? It must have been tough for you.
Sundance:
Yeah, you are talking about being voted off, correct?

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What do you hope to have this platform do for you?
Sabrina:
Definitely that people would have seen me on the show. I've created a fanbase and the right people will be able to get in touch with me. Stuff I've written and music I'll still work on will get out there eventually.

After you got booted off you said, ‘Hey, I need a job.’ What kind of job do you want?
Sundance:
I just want a job in the industry. I would like to be an artist but if that can't happen I'd just like to do whatever I can do. TV, comedy, whatever it is.

Sabrina: He's a comedian.

What does it mean for guys like you who have seen somebody like Jennifer Hudson not make it, but look what she did?
Sundance:
I think anyone can have success after the show if they do it responsibly, respect the people that they meet along the way. You just have to be smart about what you do. ‘American Idol's' whole thing is that they try to set success up for everyone that makes it onto the show. They've got the best team, the best professionals. They know the most about marketing. It's a wonderful group. It's the best in the world. I mean they could take anybody and make them into a star. There's no doubt. No doubt.

Also it probably shows you guys how it can be done.
Sabrina:
Absolutely. Once I got through the disappointment last night I really did say a prayer of just gratitude for being on the show for three weeks and having 37 million viewers watch me sing for three weeks and it's incredible. I love Jennifer Hudson and I am so happy for her and it is absolutely motivation that even if it takes a little time this is an awesome, awesome opportunity for so much more.

I bet you didn't think you would be standing here this morning, did you?
Jared:
Not at all. Not at all. I'm shocked even now.

Antonella: I was fearing the moment and you know you almost know what's coming. It was scary.

Did you know what was coming, though? You looked a little shocked. Did you think you were in the top 12 no problem?
Antonella:
I expected to be. Of course everyone wants to be and when I woke up that morning I had a good feeling. I thought I would be. You can't be nervous about something that is inevitable. Once it is out of your hands, it's out of your hands. So I wasn't so nervous going into it until there were only two spots left for the girls and four girls left and I just had a feeling and at that point, yeah I wasn't so sure anymore.

It's all about the numbers, right?
Jared:
Well, with me it was, you know, I'm 6' 4" and Ryan is like 5' nothing or whatever he is. I like the guy but he's short. So when I walked over to him I actually saw over his shoulder and saw the card so the whole time I was sitting there like mad but it's all right. You know I saw in big letters it said, ‘Jared, you are not in the top 12.’

How tough is it going to be now? Are you going to watch the show?
Jared:
I'll watch because you know we made some good friends but it's not over. I'm going to stay out here for a few more weeks. There's definitely a lot of opportunities for the both of us that have been presented to the people here at ‘American Idol' for us. We'll try to sift through them and see what's best for us.

Obviously the exposure has been great for both of you guys. What kind of offers are coming in for you?
Antonella:
I haven't gotten my offers yet but I'd like to do something with acting or singing obviously, would be my biggest goal.

Do you think the exposure on 'Idol' and the exposure that the Web site brought you with your pictures being out — does it hurt you or help you in the long run?
Antonella:
Personally it hurt me but I mean as far as my standing in the competition, I'm not in it anymore. My fans put me through the first two weeks and I am so thankful for that but at the same time the competition is about singing and this is outside stuff. It's irrelevant. It's garbage. It wasn't meant for the public eye. I am singing to the public and that is something I am intentionally putting out there but my personal life was not meant for everybody to know about.

How did you find out?
Antonella:
Friends calling me being like ‘Oh, you're on the Internet. Check this Web site, check that Web site.'

What was your reaction?
Antonella: I was just like, ‘Ah, I don't need to see it.'

Did ‘Idol' producers call you in and say what up?
Antonella:
Well, they had already known about it because I had told them about pictures that had been taken that could come out and like there was no getting in trouble with ‘Idol' itself because they knew about it the whole time. They were working to protect me against it.

When did you hear?
Jared:
She actually ran to my room when she first heard it. We're real good friends so it was really hard to deal with because she is such a good girl and those are her own private pictures. Nobody, especially millions of people around the world, was supposed to see those pictures.

You're 6'4", you can go out and help.
Jared: I told her, just let me know who it is because I will kick his butt.

Last question, do you know who did it and is there any way you can go after them?
Antonella:
I would love to know but at this point I don't really know how I could track that person down because it is in the hands of so many people. Who knows where it originated from. All I know is that personal information has been stolen off of my personal computer and I have no way of tracing that.