Miss California Carrie Prejean's disqualification is being discussed by California pageant officials over semi-nude photos Prejean says she took when she was 17.
Prejean told TMZ yesterday in a written note : "The photo in question was taken when I was a minor, several monthsbefore the 2005 pageant. The photo was not meant for disclosure to thegeneral public."
CNN reports: "Her fate was being discussed in 'closed-door meetings' Tuesdayamong California pageant officials, lawyers and representatives ofDonald Trump, who owns the international competition, said MissCalifornia USA spokesman Roger Neal. 'They are going over thelegalities and clearly she breached her contract,' Neal said. 'When youcompete for Miss California, you're supposed to disclose whether youposed for nude or semi-nude photos because it's grounds fordisqualification.' The spokesman for Miss California USA providedCNN with a copy of the pageant contract Prejean signed last yearagreeing that the discovery of semi-nude photos could meandisqualification."
In related news, TMZ reports: "The Miss UniverseOrganization just told us they've fired off a cease and desist letter to the National Organization for Marriage — after NOM used footage from the Miss USA 2009 pageant in an anti-gay marriage commercial.The commercial — which is currently still playing on NOM's website — uses Carrie Prejean's pageant response to the gay marriage question as a selling point for the ad.This doesn't mean the MUO is taking sides on the issue — just saying NOM can't use the copyrighted material to promote their agenda."
Meanwhile, NOM's Maggie Gallagher released a statement yesterday calling the treatment of Prejean "character assassination":
"“Because Carrie honestly said what she believed in answer to aquestion–marriage is the union of a man and a woman– she is now thesubject of ongoing character assassination. The level of hatreddirected at her is astonishing. Even more astonishing is her personalcourage and strength of character in the midst of these attacks. Ofcourse Carrie is not perfect. On a personal note, as a former unwedmother, I want to say to Americans: you don't have to be a perfectperson to have the right to stand up for marriage. Nothing gay marriageadvocates can do can change the fact—we all saw it on national TV—thatCarrie is a young woman who surrendered all the glitter Hollywood hasto offer, because she would not become the kind of person afraid to saythe truth. Through Carrie, we are also learning, the lengths some people will go to hurt and harass those who speak up for marriage.”
Keith Olbermann takes on the Miss California photo debate, and touches on 'Joe the Plumber''s recent remarks as well, AFTER THE JUMP…
