Reality in rehab

A trip to a treatment center turns into a TV role for Tampa's Jessica Sierra, who made a splash on American Idol in 2005.

By COLLEEN JENKINS, Times Staff Writer
Published August 30, 2007

ADVERTISEMENT [Getty Images, 2005] Jessica Sierra as an 'American Idol' contestant in 2005. Sierra after her April arrest.

TAMPA - Former American Idol contestant Jessica Sierra skipped a court hearing Wednesday because she is in a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program in California, her attorney said.

But not just any rehab program.

A VH1 spokesman confirmed that the Tampa native is part of a celebrity rehab reality show likely to air early next year.

He wouldn't reveal other cast details - Lindsay Lohan? Britney Spears? - but offered that participants were getting help from Loveline radio show host Dr. Drew Pinsky.

Sierra, who made the Idol top 10 in 2005 and now stands accused of cocaine possession and battery, apparently is benefitting from the treatment.

"She is in recovery, and from what I hear, she's doing very well," spokesman Scott Acord said.

Attorney John Fitzgibbons didn't mention the VH1 show when he appeared on Sierra's behalf Wednesday morning, but he did talk to Circuit Judge Gregory Holder and a prosecutor in chambers before the hearing. In court, he said only that the 21-year-old entered a program in July and he expected it to last several months.

Holder moved Sierra's trial on battery and drug charges from October to November.

In April, Sierra was charged with battery after being accused of throwing a cocktail glass at a Hyde Park Cafe patron's head. She went to jail, where detention deputies said they found cocaine in her purse.

She has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Her attorney wouldn't specify what Sierra was in rehab for but said the comprehensive program was "something that's very helpful to her."

He thinks it could help her court fight as well. Most courts look favorably on defendants who seek treatment on their own initiative, Fitzgibbons said.

Colleen Jenkins can be reached at 813 226-3337 or cjenkins@sptimes.com.

[Last modified August 30, 2007, 09:16:01]