Miss California stripped of crown

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(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-06-11 16:26

LOS ANGELES -- Miss California USA Carrie Prejean was stripped of her crown on Wednesday for failing to fulfill contract obligations, pageant officials said.

In this April 26, 2009 file photo, Miss California USA Carrie Prejean listens to a question at the Rock Church during services in San Diego.[Agencies]

Prejean, who finished second in the Miss USA pageant, created an uproar last month after voicing opposition to same-sex marriage and having her risque photos released on the Internet.

Keith Lewis, executive director of the Miss California USA pageant, said the decision to strip Prejean of the crown was not based on her political views or the uproar over the online photos, but on her refusal to work with pageant officials.

"This was a decision based solely on contract violations, including Ms. Prejean's unwillingness to make appearances on behalf of the Miss California USA organization," Lewis said in a statement.

Tami Farrell, the runner-up in the Miss California USA pageant, will immediately take over as Miss California, pageant officials said.

Donald Trump, owner of the Miss Universe Organization, announced last month in New York that Prejean would be allowed to keep her crown. But in a statement on Wednesday, Trump said Prejean did not live up to her obligations.

"I told Carrie she needed to get back to work and honor her contract with the Miss California USA Organization and I gave her the opportunity to do so," Trump said. "Unfortunately, it just doesn't look like it is going to happen and I offered Keith my full support in making this decision."

Lewis said he had hoped that relations between the organization and Prejean would improve after Trump's announcement.

"However, since that time it has become abundantly clear that Carrie is unwilling to fulfill her obligations under our contract and work together," he said.

Prejean's attorney, Charles Limandri, said his client was unjustly fired, and insisted she always fulfilled the obligations of her contract.

The troubles for Prejean, a 22-year-old senior at San Diego Christian College, began last month when she answered a question about same-sex marriage at the Miss USA pageant.

After saying that she was personally opposed to same-sex marriage, Prejean gained media attention from across the United States immediately and became the target of same-sex marriage supporters.

Shortly after that, partially nude photos of Prejean were posted on the Internet, raising further questions about whether she had violated the terms of her contract with the Miss California USA Organization.