Two days ago, the world learned that Miss California Carrie Prejean was stripped of her crown due to "breach of contract issues." Less than 24 hours after that, we all got a peek at a couple of leaked emails between Prejean and Keith Lewis, the pageant's executive director — correspondence that Entertainment Weekly said revealed an "increasingly hostile Prejean."
But this morning, Prejean appeared on the Today Show and told host Matt Lauer that she believes she lost her crown not because of her attitude or a contract breach, but because of her stance against same-sex marriage (video below).
I don't buy her effort to demonize the gay community while at the same time refusing to take responsibility for her own failures. And neither does Matt Lauer.
"If that were the reason," Lauer said, "then why a month ago at that press conference, did Donald Trump stand up, when all those comments that you had made were still in the headlines of newspapers across the country? ... By the way, those revealing photographs were still on shows like this and all over the internet. ... Why would he support you then, why would those comments [on same-sex marriage] suddenly warrant your firing now?"
"That's a good question, Matt," Prejean answered. "And you know what? I think Donald Trump was really tired of — he has a business to run and I think he was tired of being in the middle. ... I had to call him and ask him, 'Hey, can I volunteer for the Special Olympics this weekend.' 'Hey can I go visit the troops on the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan? ... Everything I'd brought to Mr. Lewis's attention of appearances that I wanted to make, he declined. Therefore, this is definitely, um, a one-way street here."
Lauer then told her that her story is the exact opposite of the story Lewis told — that there was "tens and tens and tens" of appearances that she was not available for, and that her no-shows were "not appropriate" for someone who was trying to represent the state as a role model.
Prejean replied, "Did he give you specific appearances that I've missed, Matt?... What are those tens and tens and tens? I'd really like to know. ... And I think a question that nobody's asking Matt... — this is very important — is, What did I do prior to this controversy, as Miss California? What were my duties and what were the appearances that Mr. Lewis had asked me to do?"
So Lauer asked, "What were those appearances?"
"You know what? Not many people are going to believe this, but I maybe did two appearances that Mr. Lewis had asked me to do. He said, 'Carrie, your job is to compete and win Miss USA. Do not worry about appearances. Do not worry about any of that. It's not about appearances. ... So, you know what, Matt? I took it upon myself and ... said, 'Hey, I'm Miss California, would you like me to attend your event?"
Lauer then asked if she thought it was all a set up.
"It is a set-up. ... I'm here right now talking to you because of the answer I gave on that stage. And this is just the proof and it's a test to Americans that tolerance needs to be a two-way street, and it's not. This is about me stating my beliefs about same-sex marriage. ... Keith Lewis, he has his own hidden agenda, he has his own personal agenda. He obviously doesn't agree with the beliefs that I have. Therefore, I am here today, dethroned as Miss California because of that, and I think Donald Trump was tired of being in the middle."
Yes, poor Donald, we all know how much he hates media attention!
Anyway, I doubt this will be the last we hear from Prejean. She's got a real gift for whining, and she''s certainly set herself up to be the next Anita Bryant.
I wonder how she feels about "fruit pie." (video below).
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