Prejean: I Was 'Dethroned' for Gay Marriage Answer
Carrie Prejean says gay marriage answer robbed her of the crown.
June 12, 2009 — -- Former Miss California Carrie Prejean spoke out for the first time about her recent dethroning, saying her crown was taken as a result of her comments on gay marriage during the Miss USA competition and not due to a contract dispute as Miss California officials have claimed.
"This has nothing to do with me against any particular group or nothing to do with me hating gays or whatever," Prejean told Fox News' Sean Hannity Thursday. "This is because I answered a question at a beauty contest and now I am being punished. I am being dethroned because of the answer that I gave."
Prejean said the dethroning was just the culmination of growing disapproval by pageant officials.
"All I know is that from the moment I gave my answer on stage that night, I have had no support from [Miss California USA executive director] Keith Lewis or [former director] Shanna Moakler or anyone from the Miss California organization," she said.
Wednesday Prejean told Larry King Live she was stunned by her firing.
"They said that you are fired and I almost started to laugh because everybody has been cooperating and everybody has been getting along so well," Prejean said on CNN's "Larry King Live'" Wednesday. "This is the first I have heard of it. It's almost funny to me. I have no idea what's going on."
The Miss USA runner-up was officially fired Wednesday, this time with the blessing of pageant owner Donald Trump.
Miss California pageant officials said that Prejean was fired because of continued breach of contract issues.
"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," executive director Keith Lewis said in a statement sent to ABCNews.com Wednesday. "After our press conference in New York we had hoped we would be able to forge a better working relationship. However, since that time it has become abundantly clear that Carrie is unwilling to fulfill her obligations under our contract and work together."
Prejean's attorney, Charles Limandri, shares her doubts concerning the pageant officials' reasoning.
"This is all kind of a big shock... It is not true that she has not been cooperating. Something is going on; the truth is not being told. I don't understand where this is coming from, or why," Limandri said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times. "For people to say that she breached her contract, that she is not doing speaking engagements is false. She did one last Sunday in Las Vegas and it went really well... No one said to her, 'Carrie, you are not doing what we want you to do.'"
Prejean's representative did not respond immediately to requests for comment from ABCNews.com.
Even without her crown, it's doubtful Prejean will be hurting for work. Prejean claims that she already turned down a lucrative deal to pose for Playboy, an offer that was brought to her by Lewis, TMZ.com reported. Lewis reportedly admitted he passed along the $140,000 offer, but only because he passes along any and all offers in accordance with his contractual obligations.
Prejean also has no plans to stop speaking her mind.
"I definitely see me speaking out and taking a stand for what I believe in, and I want to encourage Americans of all ages to not be silent and to speak out and state your beliefs and not be afraid," she said.
Even Trump, the real estate mogul who co-owns the Miss USA organization and saved Prejean from losing her crown last month, did not stand in the way this time.
"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 in the same statement. "Unfortunately it just doesn't look like it is going to happen and I offered Keith my full support in making this decision. Carrie is a beautiful young woman and I wish her well as she pursues her other interests."
Miss California runner-up Tami Farrell will immediately take over the crown and Prejean's responsibilities as Miss California. The current Miss USA Kristen Dalton and Miss Universe Dayana Mendoza will also lend a hand in making appearances.
Last month, Trump stood by the scandalized beauty queen, who ignited a firestorm of scrutiny when she spoke out against "opposite marriage" at the 2009 Miss USA pageant and semi-nude photos of her appeared on the Internet.
"[Prejean] gave a very, very honest answer when asked a very tough answer at a recent pageant. It's the same answer that the president of the United States gave. It's the same answer that many people gave," Trump said on May 12 at a press conference. "If her beauty wasn't so great, nobody really would've cared."
About the 21-year-old beauty queen's semi-nude photographs, more of which appeared online,Trump added: "We have determined that the pictures taken are fine. ... In many cases, they were very lovely pictures."
Prejean spoke after Trump, thanking the organizations behind the pageant along with her family and her supporters. Without mentioning his name, she lashed out at Perez Hilton, the Miss USA pageant judge who asked what she thought of same sex marriage on April 19.
"Three weeks ago I was asked a politically charged question with a hidden personal agenda," Prejean said. "I was given a question asking for my opinion and I stated my personal belief. Immediately after the pageant, judge no. 8 began a cultural firestorm in the media ... he was trying to be self-promoting and hateful.
"On April 19 on that stage, I exercised my freedom of speech," Prejean continued, fighting back tears. "And I was punished for doing so. This should not happen in America."
Despite feeling like she was unfairly victimized, Prejean said she forgives Hilton and everyone who criticized her following the pageant. Asked to respond to Prejean's statement, Hilton said simply, "She forgives me and I forgive her."
Ahead of the news conference, Prejean's mother, Francine, came out in defense of her daughter, telling the blog MomLogic.com that the beauty queen is "being persecuted for speaking her opinion" about gay marriage. Prejean also told Christian radio host Dr. James Dobson that Satan tried to tempt her with a question about gay marriage at the Miss USA pageant.
Since the question-and-answer session from that pageant that thrust her into the spotlight, Prejean's story has evolved so fast that it's hard to keep track of all the details. This should help clear things up. Below, a timeline of the controversy surrounding Prejean, from the Miss USA 2009 pageant to today.
