AMERICAN IDOL - FANTASIA'S HOME SAVED BY COWELL?

FANTASIA'S HOME SAVED BY COWELL?

Former AMERICAN IDOL star FANTASIA BARRINO has music mogul SIMON COWELL to thank for saving her North Carolina home from foreclosure - after he reportedly helped to pay off some of her debts. The singer, who was crowned the winner of Cowell's U.S. TV talent show in 2004, purchased the six-bedroom house in Charlotte in March 2007 for $1.3 million (£928,570).
But she ran into financial difficulty and failed to keep up with repayments on the property.
The mansion was due to be auctioned off on 12 January (09) by the local Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office, but the sale was called off at the last minute after Barrino reached a deal with financiers.
And, according to the National Enquirer, it was Cowell who stepped in to provide a short-term solution to Barrino's money problems.
A source tells the tabloid, "Very quietly, Simon promised to help Fantasia take care of some of the back payments she owed so the house wouldn't go on the block.
"His offer of monetary support helped her stave off the creditors, at least for the time being.
"Simon didn't want to take any credit for it, he just wanted to help her out of a jam. He was hoping to keep his good deed a secret. He didn't want to cause Fantasia any further public embarrassment."