Beauty Queen Shocked by Ruling, Owes Trump $5 Million
Former Miss Pennsylvania USA has admitted she is "shocked" over the Miss USA pageant's response to her claims that the contest was fixed.
Sheena Monnin, who resigned from the Miss USA pageant after alleging that it was unfair, has been ordered to pay the pageant organization $5 million for defamation.
The 27-year-old beauty queen had accused billionaire Donald Trump's Miss Universe Organization of fixing the Miss USA 2012 pageant.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Now, Monnin faces the shocking judgment ruled against her, and took to Twitter with her reaction.
"Since I had no idea that an arbitration hearing had taken place until receiving notification of the judgment made against me, I would like to release an initial response," started the beauty queen.
"When I stated my opinion that the Miss USA pageant was rigged, I was not aware of the clause in the Miss USA contract which says that the Miss Universe Organization, Donald Trump, and others have the legal right to choose the top five winner," Monnin continued.
"This is irrespective of any publicized selection process," she added. "If I would have put aside my excitement of winning the Miss Pennsylvania USA title and taken time to thoroughly read the contract that night before I signed it, I have no doubt that my response would have been the same as when I witnessed Miss Florida's words come true. I would have resigned."
Monnin continued to explain that the Miss Universe Organization's contract proves her own opinion about the pageant.
"I would like to thank my family and friends for their continued support," the Pennsylvania native concluded.
Furthermore, Monnin said that the "most logical course" would be to contest the ruling, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
Meanwhile, arbitrator Theodore Katz said that Monnin's accusation that finalists had been selected in advance were "false, harmful, and malicious and cost the pageant a $5 million fee from a potential 2013 sponsor," according to the Associated Press.
