Vandal Scandal Mars Another Pageant

Teenage Miss San Antonio fighting to keep title

(NEWSER) - A teenage beauty queen in Texas is suing to keep her crown, after she was stripped of her title for—in part—gaining weight. Domonique Ramirez, 17, won the local pageant in April, but was informed last month that the runner-up would take her place as Miss San Antonio—meaning the runner-up, not Ramirez, would advance to the Miss Texas pageant. For now, a judge has stopped the pageant promoters from formally stripping Ramirez’s title, ABC News reports. More»

Olivia O'Neil didn't 'maintain her image'

(NEWSER) - A New Zealand teen beauty queen was stripped of her title for the unimaginable offense of...dyeing her hair brown. Olivia O'Neil, whose hair had "white-blonde streaks" when she won the pageant, posted a picture on Facebook of her new darker 'do. Pageant organizer Barbara Osborne posted several comments, including "Please tell me that's a wig," reports the Wanganui Chronicle . When O'Neil said it wasn't—and added that if her hair wasn't "pageant-worthy," maybe pageants weren't for her—Osborne asked her to step down. More»

Ex-Miss California, high-profile gay-marriage foe, will wed Kyle Boller

(NEWSER) - Former Miss California USA Carrie Prejean—who gained fame for her stance on "opposite marriage" and subsequent sex-tape revelations—is engaged. To a man. St. Louis Rams quarterback Kyle Boller, 28, popped the question yesterday after just 7 months of dating, E! reports. More»

(AP) - Katie Stam of Indiana was crowned Miss America last night, fighting off a throat infection, laryngitis, and 51 other contestants to win the 88-year-old pageant, the AP reports. The 22-year-old University of Indianapolis student drew loud applause for her rendition of "Via Dolorosa" during the talent portion of the pageant in Las Vegas, and strutted onstage in an off-the-shoulder, white lace evening gown. More»

Some fear pageant's drug ties run deep

(NEWSER) - A Mexican beauty pageant winner lost her title yesterday after being arrested with a top drug trafficker, the New York Daily News reports. Authorities said Miss Sinaloa, Laura Zúñiga Huizar, was collared along with leaders of the Juarez drug cartel, an arsenal of weapons, and $55,000 in cash. Authorities are seeking to probe more links between cartels and beauty contest winners, the Guardian reports. More»