|
MADD Dumps Miss Teen USA; Donald Stews at Rosie
2006-12-22
Miss USA isn't the only one whose crown is looking a little tarnished these days. The advocacy group Mothers Against Drunk Driving has dropped Miss Teen USA Katie Blair as a spokeswoman after it surfaced that the 18-year-old had been spotted drinking (and canoodling) in New York with Miss USA Tara Conner. "In the past, MADD has teamed with Miss Teen USA to raise awareness about the serious and often deadly consequences of underage drinking," MADD director Heidi Castle said in a statement Wednesday. "However, we do not feel, at this time, that Ms. Blair can be an effective spokesperson on underage drinking and will not ask her to represent MADD in future initiatives." Donald Trump's Miss Universe Organization, which runs the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants, did not object to MADD's course of action. "The Miss Universe Organization respects the decision of MADD as much as we respect their work," spokeswoman Lark-Marie Anton said in a statement. "We look forward to working with them in the future." Anton also said that Blair's crown is safe, as is Conner's, who told reporters that she'll be checking into rehab in order to make a fresh start after her recent stretch of heavy partying. Conner, who won her title in April, just turned 21 Monday. After gossip columns reported seeing the Russell Springs, Kentucky, native enjoying herself in public a little too much, and following an investigation into her "behavioral and personal issues," Trump opted to give Conner a second chance, provided that she doesn't get into any trouble at all for the rest of her reign. But while Conner tearfully thanked Trump for "saving [her] on this one," the real estate tycoon's benevolence wasn't sitting so well in another corner of NYC. Rosie O'Donnell, for one, didn't think very much of Trump's decision, calling him a "snake-oil salesman" during Wednesday's episode of The View and referring to the Miss USA pageant as "basically a model competition." Speaking in a deeper voice and parting her hair on one side in imitation of the Donald, O'Donnell provided her take on Tuesday's press conference. "I've always been a believer in second chances," she intoned. "'Tara is a good person. Tara has tried hard. Tara is going to be given a second chance." "[Trump] left the first wife—had an affair. [He] had kids both times, but he's the moral compass," O'Donnell scoffed. After the show, O'Donnell told Extra backstage that she thinks "everything that Donald does is a ploy to promote the Trump business. That's the bottom line. I don't think he really cares about this young girl. "I just think he's a hot bag of wind, frankly, with bad hair." Well, the opinionated talk show maven—who tossed confetti when Britney Spears dumped K-Fed and accused Kelly Ripa of making a homophobic remark to Clay Aiken—may have to put her money where her mouth is this time. Trump responded to Wednesday's show with guns blazing, calling O'Donnell "a woman out of control" and threatening legal action. "You can't make false statements," Trump said, per his publicist. "Rosie will rue the words she said. I'll most likely sue her for making those false statements—and it'll be fun. Rosie's a loser. A real loser. I look forward to taking lots of money from my nice fat little Rosie." Addressing O'Donnell's comment that Miss USA is "basically a model competition" and "Miss America is the prestige," Trump put his trademark positive spin on his pageant franchise. "She talked about the Miss USA contest, which has terrific ratings on NBC," the Apprentice honcho said. "Miss America got thrown off of network television! It's [on cable] where nobody watches it." In response to this bout of he-said, she-said, View producers Bill Geddie and Barbara Walters (who is currently on vacation and wasn't a witness to her cohost's latest beef) tried to make light of the situation. "Both Rosie and Donald are high-spirited, opinionated people," Geddie and Walters said in a statement. "Donald has been a friend of The View for many years and Rosie, of course, is our enormously popular moderator. We cherish them both and hope the new year brings calm and peace." Meanwhile, a contender for next year's Miss USA title is currently trying to nip a potentially embarrassing situation in the bud before she finds herself facing the Trump firing squad. Racy photos, including one of her flashing her breasts and one in which she's making out with another girl, have surfaced of Miss Nevada Katie Rees. The 22-year-old 's lawyer released a statement to Extra Wednesday explaining that the pics were taken at a party in Tampa before she won her title. “Katie Rees—Miss Nevada USA wants the public to know she was 17 and had a lapse in judgment," said attorney Mario Torres. "The actions on that evening in subject are in no way indicative of the person she is or the person she has become…she is a law abiding citizen and talented adult. She has on many occasions given of herself and her time in the community and done community services. This was an isolated incident that occurred more than five years ago when she was a minor.”
| 
