Corey Clark's Breakfast Brawl

After former American Idol contestant Corey Clark went public with his claim that he had an affair with Paula Abdul--complete with TV interviews, tell-all book and confessional album--it appeared unlikely that he could sink any lower in his quest for headlines.

However, as we all know, appearances can be deceiving.

The "Paulatics" singer was cited on a misdemeanor battery charge Saturday after getting into an alleged food fight with his record company manager over breakfast in a Sacramento hotel room.

According to police, Clark, 24, and Laura Kathleen Troy, 34, were discussing an incident from Clark's Friday night concert in West Sacramento, when the conversation escalated into a flatware-hurling free-for-all that was loud enough to spur other hotel guests into calling the police.

Both Clark and Troy suffered scratches in the breakfast brawl, though police said the injuries did not seem serious. No word on what manner of foodstuffs were thrown.

Clark was ordered to appear in Sacramento County Superior Court on July 22 to face the music over the food fight.

"My dancers, crew, management and I were all involved in a food-fight that lasted only a few minutes," Clark said in a statement released by his publicist.

"With that said, I would like to apologize to any hotel guests and/or staff that may have been inconvenienced as a result of this situation. I trust that the authorities have a clear understanding of what really occurred and after reviewing the facts will rule accordingly."

Troy was reportedly uncooperative with police and did not want to press charges against the ex-Idol contestant, but police said it is standard practice to cite and release those charged with misdemeanor battery.

Though an initial report in the Sacramento Bee referred to Troy as Clark's girlfriend, police said there was no indication that the twosome were romantically involved. They had booked separate rooms in the hotel and were simply dining together when the fight broke out.

After police told the pair they were free to go, Clark and Troy reportedly departed the premises together in a van.

It's not the first time Clark has run afoul of the law for allegedly getting a tad out of control.

Idol producers booted the aspiring crooner off the second season of the show in 2003 after Clark's undisclosed arrest record for allegedly assaulting his teenage sister surfaced on the Smoking Gun Website.

Clark later cut a deal with Kansas prosecutors and pleaded no contest to a charge of obstructing legal process. He was sentenced to six months of unsupervised probation and paid $116 in court costs. Two other misdemeanor charges were dropped as a condition of the plea bargain.

Last week, Clark pledged to help Idol producers investigate his alleged affair with Abdul and whether she unfairly helped him while he was still a contestant. Clark's statement came just as he released his self-titled debut album, Corey Clark, which is currently ranked number 13,606 on Amazon.com.

Meanwhile, as Clark was sorting out his legal problems in Sacramento, his reputed paramour was, coincidentally, also in town.

Abdul testified Monday before a panel of legislators, urging them to oversee nail salons. She recounted her yearlong ordeal with a bacterial infection caused, she says, by a manicurist using unclean tools.

"The pain was so excruciating that even my hair touching my thumb caused me to scream," Abdul told the California Senate Business and Professions Committee.

Legislation forcing salons to adhere to strict sanitary practices is expected to be voted on by state senators in the next two weeks.

"I was publicly humiliated," Abdul continued. "That is why with an open heart and a selfless agenda, I implore you to pass this bill."