Carrie Prejean lawsuit alleges libel, slander
Image from flikr.com.
Carrie Prejean, the runner-up in the most recent Miss USA pageant, doesn’t appear to be done with the spotlight just yet. Even after all the drama she’s already been through, Carrie Prejean is suing the Miss California pageant for religious discrimination.
Carrie Prejean filed a lawsuit today that accuses pageant officials of libel, slander and religious discrimination. I hope she doesn’t need the money now because I think this case will probably take a while.
How do I recognize that name?
You might remember Carrie Prejean from the Miss USA contest. She created quite the controversy when she said that although people can choose between “opposite marriage” and same-sex marriage, she believed marriage should be between a man and a woman.
Besides making up a snazzy new phrase, “opposite marriage,” Carrie Prejean got a lot of attention from the gay community and the wrath of many others as well, particularly in California. In case you missed it, here’s the video of Carrie Prejean talking about her belief in opposite marriage.
Carrie Prejean dethroned
If you don’t remember Carrie Prejean for creating a gay marriage controversy, you might remember her from sexy photos in which she modeled lingerie. The pictures surfaced after the pageant and had some people questioning whether someone who posed topless was fit for the role of Miss California.
Pageant officials did not strip Carrie Prejean of her title and her crown because of the photos. However, she did lose her throne because of her “unwillingness to make appearances on behalf”of the Miss California organization.
Carrie Prejean’s lawsuit
That brings us to the present, in which Carrie Prejean is suing Miss California pageant officials for religious discrimination. Specifically, Prejean is suing California pageant executive director Keith Lewis and actress and former Miss USA Shanna Moakler.
According to The Huffington Post, Moakler served as a co-director of the Miss California pageant before resigning in protest of Prejean. Carrie Prejean says in her lawsuit that these executives asked her to stop mentioning God, even before her remarks about gay marriage.
Omigosh, no God?
I have a very hard time believing that the people running a beauty pageant asked Carrie Prejean to stop mentioning God. I will admit that I do not regularly watch Miss USA or Miss Whichever-State pageants, but I have seen them before.
Granted, it has been a while and maybe things have changed, but I don’t remember ever hearing a contestant answer their question without mentioning God. Carrie Prejean’s lawyer says that the beauty queen wasn’t ousted from her post because of her refusal to show up for work, but because of her remarks about gay marriage.
Correction: a Godless answer
I just realized I have seen a pageant contestant answer a question without talking about God. However, whatever she is talking about, I couldn’t tell ya.
So, I stand corrected. But back to the Carrie Prejean lawsuit. Regarding the Miss USA pageant, The Huffington Post also says:
She was named first runner-up, and many believe she lost her shot at the Miss USA crown because of her answer.
After reading that, I am interested to see if Carrie Prejean will sue the Miss USA organization as well. She obviously doesn’t mind the drama and the attention.
