Posted on 12/24/2006 4:05:40 PM PST by Snickering Hound
MIAMI — The former Miss Nevada USA, dethroned over raunchy photos posted online, apologized Saturday as her attorney pleaded for the pageant queen to be given a second chance.
Katie Rees, who appeared in photos revealing a breast, exposing her thong underwear and kissing other young women at a party in Tampa, said her behavior was an "isolated incident."
"I am so sorry this happened," she said at a news conference in Clearwater, reading a prepared statement. "So many of us don't realize how our actions, even one night of poor judgment, can affect the rest of our lives."
Her attorney, Mario Torres of Tampa, asked that Miss Universe Organization co-owner Donald Trump grant Rees the same opportunity he gave Miss USA Tara Conner, who was allowed to keep her tiara after she tearfully admitted drinking as a minor at New York nightclubs. The Miss Universe Organization owns the Miss USA pageant and others.
"He always believes in second chances," Torres said of Trump. "We are asking for that and plead that he answer our call, allow us to meet with him and allow us to defend ourselves."
A Miss Universe spokeswoman has said organization president Paula Shugart made the decision to strip Rees, 22, of her title and Trump supported it. An e-mail sent to a secretary for Trump was not immediately answered Saturday.
Shugart has said first runner-up Helen Salas will assume the Miss Nevada title and compete at the next Miss USA pageant on March 23 in Los Angeles.
The person who posted the pictures of Rees should "in some way be held accountable," said Torres, adding that could involve legal action.
The photographer, a friend of Rees, was not identified.
Torres had previously said the photos of his client were taken when she was 17, but said Saturday they were taken three years ago, when she was 19.
"These images were from an isolated incident during my teenage years, long before my consideration to compete in the Miss USA program," Rees said. "While I take full responsibility for the photographs, I just want everyone to know the truth: This incident does not represent who I am."
Rees and Conner are not the only pageant queens whose behavior has been questioned lately. On Wednesday, Mothers Against Drunk Driving announced it was severing ties with Miss Teen USA Katie Blair over news reports that the 18-year-old from Billings, Mont., had been spotted partying with Miss USA in New York clubs.
Slippery, meet slope.
One had pictures BEFORE she assumed the post the other did not.
Somehow I see this more as a PR stunt ....again.
"Mothers Against Drunk Driving announced it was severing ties with Miss Teen USA Katie Blair over news reports that the 18-year-old from Billings, Mont., had been spotted partying with Miss USA in New York clubs"
Yeah, they're not just against drunk driving, they're against drinking, period.
Molly Hatchet rides again.
Of course she can have a second chance. It is the socialist dimocrat liberal way.
I wish there were some sort of happy medium between women in burkas and this kind of garbage. What on earth are these girls thinking? Bad enough to behave like this in public, but clearly, from the photos, they knew they were being photographed. I can only say...idiots.
susie
They like them skinny these days.
Why not give her a second chance, or a tenth chance by the number of threads on this. It's not like she will ever attain a higher goal such as Governor of the State.
Makes trying to find a decent girl to date almost impossible.
What nonsense, a moral and mature adult realizes this during every waking moment. The young woman chosen to be Miss Nevada USA should be a moral and mature adult.
Miss Rees, you're fired!
Yeah. I'm sick of this and I'm going to start an opposing group... Drunks Against Mad Mothers or DAMM for short.
Every once in a while we see the bumper sticker: In Fairbanks you don't lose your woman, you lose your turn.
Fairbanks is still a frontier town although classified as metropolitan now, and the ratio of free women to rogue males is about 1 to 20. When the pipeline was starting up, about 1973, someone remarked: 'Finally, there are some women in town.' There are, and as Randy Newman might say: 'It's money that matters.'
Ha...Merry Christmas to you too!
It's sad how people forget the meaning of 'role model' in this day and age.
she could be a senator from Mass.
"she could be a senator from Mass."
Thought you had to be able to rape a waitress to be eligible for that.
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