Idol chatter: Archuleta family past drama

Smallscreen News

By M&C Smallscreen May 17, 2008, 17:34 GMT

"American Idol" contestant David Archuleta's family has a history of contentious bickering. 05/03/2008 - David Archuleta - American Idol © PRN / PR Photos

05/03/2008 - David Archuleta - American Idol © PRN / PR PhotosStar magazine reports that a family feud that nearly ended his parents' marriage and forced his father to fight a false charge of sexual child abuse.David's father Jeff Archuleta and his mom Lupe settled in a Utah suburb and included his children and his in-laws.According to Sandy Police Department documents that Star got hold of, on April 7, 2002 one year before David won $100,000 as a 12-year-old singer on the CBS series Star Search, the police went to the Archuleta home to investigate a 911 call.The police found crying women and children.A Sandy police told Star the in-law "later claimed that Jeff had been sexually abusing two children over a three month period." There was no arrest. "One of the alleged victims denied any abuse had taken place and said the in-law was lying," says the police source, who adds that it came out the in-law who had made the child abuse allegations "had promised Barbie dolls to the two alleged victims if they backed up the false claim."