‘Idol’ Winner Laine Hardy Engaged & Expecting First Child

Heavy/Getty Laine Hardy performing in Nashville in July 2021

Season 17 “American Idol” winner Laine Hardy just made quite the comeback — with new music, a new fiancée, and a new baby on the way.

Hardy, who will turn 24 on September 12, has primarily stayed out of the national spotlight since his arrest in April 2022 over accusations that he bugged an ex-girlfriend’s dorm room. But on September 6, 2024, Hardy dropped a new country single, “That Man” — the first since his album “Here’s To Anyone” was released in 2021.

Piggybacking on his professional news, Hardy had even bigger personal news to share the next day. On September 7, New Orleans Saints cheerleader Jordan Gautreau tagged Hardy in a social media post that revealed they’re engaged to be married and expecting a baby together.

Gautreau began her post by writing, “the secret is out…. I’m having his babyyyy🤭”

Laine Hardy & His Fiancée Shared a Gender Reveal Video as Part of Their Announcement

Adding the hashtag #partywiththehardys, Gautreau continued her caption, “We are so excited for this chapter of our lives. Looking forward to God’s plan for us. The biggest surprise and the easiest YES! Can’t wait for our new title as parents and to plan a wedding.”

In her post, Gautreau shared a photo of herself smiling with Hardy as she displayed the engagement ring on her hand. She also included a photo taken of two Polaroid pics — one of the couple and the other with the words “BABY H 2025” etched across a sandy beach.

She also shared a video of their gender reveal. The video started in black and white and the couple stood across from each other with their eyes closed. Someone handed a bouquet of flowers to Hardy behind his back, with its stems wrapped in blue. When he pulled the flowers out from behind his back, they both opened their eyes to discover that they’re having a boy, which caused Gautreau to jump for joy.

It’s not clear how or when the couple met, but Gautreau is from Louisiana like Hardy. According to LinkedIn, she graduated from Southeastern Louisiana University in 2018 — a year before Hardy won “Idol” at age 18 — and has worked as a project analyst for the Louisiana Department of Health since early 2022. She also spent two years as an NBA dancer for the New Orleans Pelicans and became a cheerleader for the Saints in May.

Though this is the first time Hardy has publicly shared his relationship with Gautreau on social media, many friends and family members said it was hard to keep their big news a secret.

One friend wrote on Instagram, “SO EXCITED THAT THE SECRET IS OUT!!!! Congratulations my girl!!! Cannot wait to celebrate you!”

Hardy’s sister, Brittany Banta, wrote on Facebook, “FINALLYYYY…this was torture keeping this secret…so excited for yall and I am so happy for yall and can’t wait to meet new nephew and Aunt BB is already so in love with him and he doesn’t even know it yet…we love y’all and welcome to the PARTY WITH THE HARDY’S…so happy to have another sis in law.”

Gautreau and Hardy did not share when they plan to get married or when their baby boy is due.

Laine Hardy is Ready to Reveal ‘Who I Really Am’ With New Chapter

GettySeason 17 “American Idol” winner Laine Hardy at the finale in May 2019

After Hardy won “American Idol,” he hit the ground running with a record deal, debut album release, and global appearances, including his dream-come-true debut at the Grand Ole Opry in 2021 and an appearance at the 2022 Rose Bowl Parade.

But the Louisiana native’s rise to stardom came to an abrupt halt following his arrest on accusations that he installed a recording device in his ex-girlfriend’s dorm at Louisiana State University. To clear his name, Hardy enrolled in a pretrial diversion program in early 2023, according to The Advocate, which aims to rehabilitate first-time offenders as an alternative to jail time.

That October, Hardy appeared on social media after a lengthy absence to tell fans that he leaned on his faith to get through the challenging time, but was “looking forward to the next chapter of my life.”

Hardy wrote, “I’ve learned to just simply be grateful for anything, good/bad, positive/negative. It shapes you from who you were to how you were to how you are to who you are now.”

Hardy’s legal troubles resulted in canceled gigs, delayed music releases and, eventually, losing the record deal he earned by winning “Idol.” But he has stayed busy songwriting in Nashville and  playing gigs across the country, he told Center Stage Magazine in March, adding that “home and family” in Louisiana “is the most important thing” to him.

Hoping that releasing “That Man” will give him a fresh start, Hardy told the outlet, “This song, for me, is just setting the stage of who I really am. This is the person I want to be.”