Miss California dethroned

Carrie Prejean has been dethroned as Miss California USA for contract violations. The dismissal of Prejean comes a month after pageant owner Donald Trump gave her a second chance.

Prejean came under fire from pageant officials for taking topless photos and missing public appearances — both violations of her Miss California USA contract.
She stirred controversy with her statements at the Miss USA pageant against same-sex marriage, and later threw her support behind a
controversial political action committee.

Trump made the decision to fire Prejean a month after he gave her an initial reprieve.

“Carrie is a beautiful young woman and I wish her well as she pursues her other interests,” Trump says. “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. Unfortunately it just doesn’t look like it is going to happen and I offered Keith my full support in making this decision.”

At last month’s press conference, Trump defended Prejean’s comments on same-sex marriage as her right to an opinion and said
the photos were not that racy, while Prejean promised to communicate better with state pageant officials, who claimed she was impossible to reach and had missed important pageant events.

“After our press conference in New York we had hoped we would be able to forge a better working relationship,” state pageant executive director Keith Lewis says. “However, since that time it has
become abundantly clear that Carrie is unwilling to fulfill her obligations under our contract and work together.”

Runner-up Tami Farrell, Miss Malibu, will take on the responsibilities of the Miss California crown.