Miss California Carrie Prejean Stripped of Crown, Nation in Tears

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