Kata Hay on 'The Voice' in 2016Photo: TRAE PATTON/NBCU PHOTO BANK/NBCUNIVERSAL VIA GETTY IMAGES VIA GETTY IMAGES
Kata Hay, a former contestant on The Voice, has been arrested in Oklahoma in connection with a vehicular homicide case out of Tennessee, authorities confirmed this week.
The Goodlettsville Police Department said Hay — whose legal name is Kata Huddleston — was taken into custody early Wednesday (December 17) after investigators sought public help locating her. Police had warned she might be traveling toward Oklahoma with a man and possibly towing a camper.
Law enforcement officials said tips from the public led to her arrest by a local sheriff’s deputy in her home state. She is now expected to be extradited back to Davidson County, Tennessee.
In addition to the vehicular homicide warrant, Hay is facing multiple charges tied to a December 10 incident, including DUI, leaving the scene of an accident involving significant property damage, and driving with an open container of alcohol, according to reports.
Court records also show Hay was convicted in 2022 on a separate case involving sexual contact with a minor and served a six-month jail sentence.
Hay gained national attention in 2016 during Season 10 of The Voice, when she advanced to the Top 20 after a widely publicized blind audition that earned chair turns from Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine, and Pharrell Williams. She was eliminated during the first week of live playoff shows.
Hay is scheduled to appear before an Oklahoma judge on Monday to formally waive extradition back to Tennessee.
SOURCE: Billboard