MISS CALIFORNIA FALLOUT: Shanna Moakler Resigns

LOS ANGELES — Former Miss USA Shanna Moakler resigned as co-executive director of the Miss California USA pageant on Wednesday, saying she no longer believes in the organization because of pageant owner Donald Trump's decision to let the state's controversial title holder keep her crown.

After Miss California USA Carrie Prejean created a stir with her response to a question about gay marriage at last month's Miss USA pageant, questions about her work with gay marriage opponents and nearly nude photos taken of her when she was a teenager put her title in jeopardy.

At a news conference Monday, Moakler angrily accused Prejean of violating the contract she signed with pageant organizers, but Trump announced Tuesday that Prejean would keep her title.

Moakler, the Miss USA of 1995, said she decided after Trump's news conference to quit.

"I cannot with a clear conscience move forward supporting and promoting the Miss Universe Organization when I no longer believe in it or the contracts I signed committing myself as a youth," she said in a statement issued by her publicist. "I want to be a role model for young women with high hopes of pageantry, but now feel it more important to be a role model for my children."

Trump's senior executive assistant, Rhona Graff-Ricci, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Prejean, the first runner-up in the Miss USA pageant, created a brouhaha when she responded to a question by celebrity judge Perez Hilton by saying, "I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there, but that's how I was raised."

After gay rights advocates took her to task, California pageant officials said Prejean asked for permission to elaborate on her answer and they agreed. But then, they said, she began speaking without their permission in front of crowds opposed to gay marriage, including her San Diego church and the National Organization for Marriage.

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Keith Lewis, the state pageant's co-executive director, said Prejean also began missing Miss California events she was contractually obligated to attend.

Trump on Tuesday said there had been miscommunication among Prejean, pageant organizers and the outside groups, but added that "the communication problem, I believe, is totally solved."

Trump defended Prejean's statements that marriage should be exclusive to men and women, saying her position was similar to President Barack Obama's.

Photos of Prejean in her underwear, taken when she was 17, emerged after the Miss USA pageant.

Moakler said Monday that pageant officials were not as unhappy with what the photos of Prejean showed as they were with the fact she didn't disclose their existence, as the contract she signed required.

Trump, however, while acknowledging the photos were "risque," said he didn't think they were bad enough to get her booted.

Lewis said Wednesday he was saddened by Moakler's resignation but "would always respect the convictions that brought her to this place."

Prejean spokeswoman Melany Ethridge said Prejean, who turned 22 on Wednesday, was traveling and hadn't had a chance to speak with pageant officials since Moakler's resignation.

Moakler, an actress and model, posed nude for Playboy magazine but not until several years after she was Miss USA. The December 2001 Playmate of the Month said in her Playboy bio that her turnoffs include, "People who lie, cheat and are dishonest."

Comments

[Polichick66]

The point here is NOT Prejean's response to the question (albeit controversial). The issue is that she signed a CONTRACT that she had not posed for topless photos in the past, and that she would not sign on to any political group as Miss California. She did both, so she broke her part of the contract.

Shanna was right to resign if her conscience couldn't allow her to represent the farce that the pageant has become. Too bad she stay in to fight the good fight.

Unfortunately, this has become all too much the norm in today's culture; lie, cheat, lie some more, hold a press conference, bully those who disagree with you, and WIN!

[imsosure]

Miss California is the best, real fake women with her hair dye job and boob implants, the lies she tells and the ignoring of her contractual obligations, a true pageant queen from Cali also called the land of fruits and nuts..

[loncowber]

Another person with a fake face and a fake opinion to go with it.

[ihaveavoicetoo]

you are living in a dream world, because the majority of Californians have "fake opinions" about gay marriage too. wake up and get a reality check, sorry for you, Carrie's opinion is very real and is the majority.

[demdan07]

cut off nose... spite face.........................................................................................................

[harriettubman]

Shanna does not want to mess with the Donald. Just ask Rosie. Miss CA had every right to voice her opinion for the question the repug asked her. However, I'm having trouble believing the stories about the wind blowing her tops open to show her *ni*pp*les.

[Sandmanj]

Good news, if for no other reason than to embarass The Donald, who didn't have the integrity or the cajones to uphold the terms of the contract Prejean violated.

[RJII]

shanna is really pretty.

[sparky09]

All you Shanna haters out there--the point of all this is she didn't lie on her contract. Then when busted for the lie, continue to lie...Miss fake Ta Ta's for Jesus is some 'Christian' role-model...SHEESH....

[ricland]

Shanna Moakler is a nightclub party-girl whose boozing and carousing surpasses Paris Hilton's. She's also done nude centerfold spreads for Playboy and brought a $62 million palimony suit against Oscar de la Hoya after they broke-up. The men she's slept with reads like a Who's Who? of Tinseltown.

And about that $62 million palimony, Shanna. You date a rich guy, you have his baby, and then you sue him for every nickel he's got? Where's the ethics in that, Missy?

All this may well-explain why she hired another ethically-challenged club kid, Perez Hilton, to be a judge. As far as I can tell, Perez Hilton's only qualification to be a judge in the most important beauty contest in the land is that he has a catchy fake name.

Someone else made the observation that old men like Trump have no business in the beauty pageant business.

Trump fouled up bad when he hired these club kids to run the pageant. He hired a bunch of club rats who have no more business deciding who should represent America than a patient in substance abuse rehab does, which is where a lot of those Trump hand-picked Miss USA managers and judges belong.

These are not quality people and each of them did headstands to put the limelight on themselves instead of the pageant.

Shanna Moakler Miss USA Vice President? What was Trump paying her with coke?

[Wanjiru]

...I don't really care, one way or the other, about this non-story...

...but I must say, I didn't know that Shanna was married to/dating Oscar de la Hoya-and that they even had a child together...

...juicy stuff...

.

[harriettubman]

Trump hires these two bit people but fires Kwame on Apprentice for listening to Omorosa?!!! SMH

When Trump said Miss CA would keep her crown, I saw the blood drain out of Shanna's face. She had already assumed that gir's crown was being snatched.

I haven't cared for the theme of beauty pageants in years but this one took the cake with that asinine question Perez asked. Perez needs to stick with his gossip site and leave legitimate judging alone.

[meemu]

What does the number of men she has slept with have to DO with anything??! Why is this always mentioned whenever someone wants to tear down a woman?? Has anyone EVER heard the same statement/accusation said of a MAN, other than in an admiring way??

same old double standard...........

[nee]

Shanna said she wants to be a role model for girls. She isn't qualified.

[iluvnews44]

Since Ms. Moakler chose to continue being a part of the Miss USA pageant family, shouldn't she live up to some moral standard as well? What's the saying "pot - kettle??" I agree that Ms. California should have been up front about the photos, however, unless they are sexually explicit, pageants need to lighten up a little on this. Just my two cents...

[dbawden]

"Moakler, an actress and model, posed nude for Playboy magazine but not until several years after she was Miss USA."

I thought Moakler had some moral reasoning going her way until I read that line. How pathetic.

[mi]

Admirable gesture for Ms. Moakler.
Mr. Trump only hurts the pagent with his decision.

[MikeSinAZ]

Good on you Ms. Moaklar, good on you!

[walks]

another selective christian -- no to gay marriage but yes to contract breaking and lying!!!! but if she is saved, it doesn't matter about the lying and contract breakubg.

[murphysgirl]

I watched Larry King this evening, and you could tell that Shanna Moakler was really broken up about resigning. But in the end, she felt it was the right thing to do. For Miss California to turn down an appearance on Larry King, but accept an invitation for Faux News speaks volumes.

Donald Trump let her keep the crown for the publicity factor, it had nothing to do with her "freedom of speech."

[sparky09]

Miss fake Ta Ta's for Jesus was probably running scared when she realized she'd be up against Shanna & have to answer more unscripted questions...Still can't believe she passed up some camera time, tho...

[Melissa]

She want she to be a roll model for young girls so she posed nude for playboy. What a joke. She is just jealous of Miss California!