Shanna Moakler: Carrie Prejean Was Getting Nasty

Shanna Moakler has opened up about the Carrie Prejean controversy, revealing that the reigning Miss California sent her an email saying that she “should be thanking [Prejean] for extending my fifteen minutes.”

In an interview with Usmagazine, Moakler says, “Carrie is very, very nice when she wants something. And when it’s her turn to do her end of the deal, it’s very complicated. She’s late, she doesn’t show up. It’s always a problem. I can deal with difficult, but I can’t deal with nasty and she was getting nasty.”

The 34-year-old says that her decision to quit as the Miss California pageant director came down to a lack of respect.

“I personally paid for photo shoots for Carrie Prejean, that are $3,000 photo shoots,” she explains. “I spent a thousand dollars in makeup for her, I got out and scouted and found [all our] sponsors … I felt like, ‘Why do I have to continue to support this girl when she has absolutely no respect for me?”

But the former Miss California is proud of her decision to quit adding, “I stood up for what I believe in and what I think is right. I’m proud, but I’m devastated. This isn’t what pageants are about, it wasn’t how it’s supposed to go.”

Miss America Won't Testify

An undercover sex sting that used Miss America as bait may be in trouble after the beauty queen told prosecutors that she does not plan to testify against the men she helped arrest.

Lauren Nelson, 20, of Lawton, Okla., worked with police in Suffolk County to target would-be Internet sexual predators, taped for an episode of the TV show "America's Most Wanted."

She posed as a teenager and lured men into chatting online and meeting her at a home, where police and crews were waiting. Eleven men were arrested in the sting.

But one or all of the cases against the men could be in jeopardy after Nelson told prosecutors she did not plan on returning to Long Island to testify, said Suffolk District Attorney Thomas Spota in Newsday's Tuesday edition.

"Her agents have told us that she's not coming back to testify," Spota said. The Miss America Organization did not return calls for comment Monday from a Newsday reporter.

Given that Nelson actually spoke with at least one of the men arrested during the operation, Spota said he had instructed prosecutors not to present any more cases to the grand jury until they can "determine her involvement." One case already presented may falter, he said.

Attorney Michael Brown, who represents one of the 11 men swept up in the sting, said he had the right to cross-examine the beauty queen if she contends that she spoke with his client.

"You've now made Miss America a witness," he said.

Miss USA: I Will Always Be An Addict

Saucy Miss USA Tara Conner tells the Lexington Herald-Leader, a paper in her homestate of Kentucky, that she's "always going to be an alcoholic addict," and points out that hey, she's off the clock starting March 23, when the next Miss USA is crowned.

Tara adds that appearing in Broadway's "Chicago" is a "possibility."

haha, isn't it nice to see just how well rehab helps all these young startlets. It seems - in through one ear and out the other...

Miss USA Admits Coke Use

In her first television interview since completing her 31-day stint in a Pennsylvania rehab center, second-chancer Tara Conner opened up on the Today show, admitting to Matt Lauer that some of the more salacious tabloid tales that preceded her decision to get treatment were indeed true.

"I have done cocaine," she said in an interview scheduled to air on Dateline this Saturday but teased on the morning show Wednesday.

The 21-year-old Kentucky sash wearer had already copped to an alcohol addiction at a press conference last month in which pageant purveyor Donald Trump allowed her to keep her crown, provided she seek treatment.

However, her sit-down with Lauer is the first time in which she's publicly admitted to anything more than a fondness for libations.

Of her decision to actually tell all during the tell-all, Conner said that admitting her problem "gets it off my chest."

"In being honest with you, at first I kind of held back on it a little bit but there's no sense in it," she said. "Luckily, the great thing about getting everything out, and being completely open and honest about things, it frees me from it. So the more I get it off my chest, the better I feel about myself."

"It's not healthy for my recovery to sit here and hold things back."

Her road to recovery kicked off on Dec. 21, when Conner, amid allegations of toxic partying—the lowlights of which centered around men, drugs, clubs and booze—and the threat of losing her crown, entered into Pennsylvania's Caron Foundation for a monthlong go at treatment. She checked out of the center on Jan. 21 and has since moved from her Trump Tower apartment to a smaller abode in uptown Manhattan, which she reportedly shares with a roommate: a Trump-approved minder.

Conner, who earlier this week copped to the fact that she had her first drink at age 14, also told Lauer that despite the rocky road she's traversed in the past few months, she nevertheless wouldn't change a thing in her past "because it gave it me my future."

While Conner's full interview won't air until Saturday, the reigning Miss USA will appear live on Today Thursday morning to answer questions sent in by viewers.

One unlikely inquirer: Lauren Nelson.

The 20-year-old Oklahoma native was crowned the new Miss America Monday night and while her pageant has traditionally been regarded as the more aspirational of the national Miss competitions, her crowning moment has been all but overshadowed—Trumped, as it were—in the wake of the ongoing Miss USA saga.

Miss Oklahoma Lauren Nelson Crowned Miss America 2007

'There She Is ...' Miss Oklahoma Lauren Nelson beat out 51 other gorgeous ladies tonight to become Miss America 2007 and the winner of a $50,000 scholarship.

Within minutes of winning, the 20-year-old from Lawton, OK brushed back tears to tell Luxe Life, "This organization saved my life. I'm so very excited. This is a dream I never thought would come true. I watched Miss America as a little girl, since I was two-years-old, and never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be Miss America. But that's what's wonderful about this organization."

The victory is nothing new for the state of Oklahoma, which was represented in 2006 by outgoing Miss America Jennifer Berry, who gave Luxe Life her final interview as Miss America, which we posted earlier today. It's also the third time that one state has had back-to-back winners. In 1935 and 1936 it was Pennsylvania, and in 1959 and 1960 it was Mississippi. With Nelson's win, Oklahoma becomes the most winning state, with six winners in the 87 years of the pageant.

Nelson said she will soon be seeking Berry's advice on what life will be like as the new Miss America. "Jennifer and I are friends," she said. "I haven't spoken to her in a few days, but her phone number will be on speed dial. I'll probably be talking to her tonight."

After 90 minutes of competition, it came down to five finalists, all from the southern part of the country. In addition to Miss Oklahoma, the other finalists are (pictured below in order) Miss Georgia Amanda Kozak, Miss Texas Shilah Phillips , Miss Alabama Melinda Toole and Miss Mississippi Taryn Foshee.

The Miss America Pageant has the swimsuit and evening gown competitions, but is different from other pageants in that it features a talent competition with the five finalists performing live.

"After i was one of the top ten semi-finalists, everything else was icing on the cake and I said 'Now I can just have fun,' said the new Miss America. "Being in the top five, I was just so excited to sing on national TV."

After the the talent competition, the five ladies stood nervously before a theater audience of 7,000 and another 30 million watching the live broadcast on CMT from the Planet Hollywood Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Then it was narrowed to three, Miss Oklahoma, Miss Georgia and Miss Texas.

Each lady was interviewed and then the judges -- Chris Matthews, Debbie Allen, Michael Feinstein, Nigel Barker and Susan Powell -- cast their final vote and decided that Miss Oklahoma would hold the Miss America crown for the next 12 months. Miss Texas was first runner up and Miss Georgia was named second runner up. The other popular award of the night, Miss Congeniality, went to Miss Alabama.

"When Mario Lopez said my name, my knees buckled. I went straight to the ground," said Miss America. "The emotions inside are so surreal to know I have the crown on my head and the sash says 'Miss America 2007.'"

When football players win the Super Bowl, they usually say they are going to Disney World, but after winning Miss America, the one-time Miss Teen Lawton said she wants to go somewhere else. "I'd like to eat some caramel cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory to celebrate," she said.

There was also another beauty queen celebrating in Las Vegas last night, as former Miss Nevada USA Katie Rees won a crown to replace the one she lost when nude photos of her surfaced on the Internet.