American Idol has had its share of controversies ever since it launch in 2002, whether about issues surrounding its contestants, host or its infamous judges. Nevertheless, the love lives or personal relationships of its contestants hardly make the news…until now.

Based on the snapshots by TMZ.com, American Idol’s Chris Richardson and Laguna Beach’s Lauren "LC" Conrad seem to be engrossed with each other at the Les Deux club.

So, who’s Chris Richardson? Richardson is a 23-year old native of Belgium who graduated from Great Bridge High School and studied music composition at Christopher Newport University. Eager to make it big in the entertainment scene, he tried his luck and auditioned in New York for American Idol season six. Fortunately, he got accepted and is one of the top 8 contestants remaining to date. Prior to his inclusion on American Idol, he worked as a kitchen supervisor for a Hooters restaurant. As for LC, she is a 21-year old student turned reality television star. This California native is best known for her inclusion on MTV’s reality program Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and The Hills, where she earned a Teen Choice Award in 2006. She also appeared in the film Epic Movie.

The American Idol finalist and the Laguna Beach star being seen together is actually a positive thing, if you think about it. LC has been recently flooded with negative publicity surrounding her rumored sex tape which allegedly features herself and a past cast mate. Her being with Richardson might positively ease her reputation from the prejudiced public. Meanwhile, Richardson’s possible love team up with LC certainly puts him into the limelight. In line with this, it appears that he is making the most out of his American Idol fame, taking positive exposure as he becomes visible to the public with a good-looking girl.