In 1957, Leona Gage won the title of Miss USA, but the next day she was stripped of the title. Gage died at the age of 71 in Los Angeles. She died of heart failure after a weeks-long illness at Sherman Oaks hospital.
Why was Leona Gage Stripped of Miss USA Title?
Pageant officials took the title away from Gage after they found out she had lied to them. Apparently she was the married mother of two children when she won the title of Miss USA, which meant that she was not technically a Miss.
Not only did she lie about being a mom and a wife, but she also lied about her age – she was actually 18, but she told officials she was 21 years old. She also lied to reporters after her win saying that she didn’t even have a boyfriend. She said, “I want to wait until I’m 26 before I become seriously interested in the opposite sex.” Wow! That was really an elaborate lie she was involved in. Of course, she said she was used to being involved in lies after lying to her mom about her first pregnancy as long as she could.
The fallen Miss USA was born Mary Leona Gage in Texas, and she was Miss Maryland USA in the Long Beach, California pageant in 1957. She was exposed after reigning for just one day. In fact, the 18 year old had been married two times before the pageant. Both of her marriages were at age 14, but the first one was annulled quickly. Her second child was born when she was 16 years old – contestants are not allowed to be married or have children.
Leona Gage Television Appearances After Losing Miss USA Crown
Interestingly, after Gage was stripped of the crown, she appeared on several TV shows including the Ed Sullivan Show. She tried to become an actress, but her career never took off. She lost the tiara, prizes, trips and studio contract, which all went to Miss Utah.
Unfortunately for Gage, she had a difficult life. She experienced six failed marriages, and she lost custody of all five of her children – two of them actually passed before she did. Additionally, she had a drug problem and multiple suicide attempts.
What a sad life the controversial former Miss USA Leona Gage had. It is really too bad that she wasn’t able to turn it around. Thankfully most of her children ended up being successful despite their mother’s issues, which is something she must have been proud of.
Miss USA Rima Fakih was a big winner way before she took the crown for Miss USA 2010 last night — the 24-year-old beauty queen is a former “Stripper 101″ pole dancing champion!
Back in 2007, the sexy pageant queen won a stripper contest for local Detroit radio morning show Mojo in the Morning.
Apparently, Fakih earned some fabulous prizes for the victory — which included “jewelry, gift cards, adult toys and a stripper pole for home use.”
Do you remember Carrie Prejean? She’s the semi hot former Miss California who caused a big stir after her anti-gay marriage remarks at the Miss USA pageant. She is now being sued for her boobs, kind of.
A little history lesson, after having her Miss California title taken off her, she filed a lawsuit against K2 Productions (which directs the Miss California USA pageant), Keith Lewis, Shanna Moakler and pageant publicist Roger Neal for slander, libel, religious discrimination, public disclosure of private facts and infliction of emotional distress for supposedly using her as a scapegoat for any negative attention they may have received over the anti-gay marriage position she took before she was named runner-up at this year’s Miss USA pageant.
Well, K2 Productions have just countersued her and what do they want? The money for her breast implants which cost around $5,200.
In a statement Lewis said “Had [Prejean] heeded the guidance of the Gospel of John, who admonished only those who are without sin to cast stones in judgment, she might have avoided this legal battle, we are saddened by the necessity to file a counter-claim today against Carrie Prejean, We are continuing to prepare for our upcoming telecast of the Miss California USA pageant on November 22nd, but the integrity of the Miss California USA organization and the values it represents requires us to respond and present the truth. Our claim is not about financial reward, and all profits awarded will be donated to a charity that promotes the values of our organization.”
Suing her for her the cost of her breast implants? This is just too funny.
source: Miss California Officials to Carrie Prejean: You Owe Us For Those Boobs! [E Online!]
Carrie Prejean must have a really, really bad memory — because TMZ uncovered a brand new set of topless photos “biblically correct” Miss California took before she applied for the crown.
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These pics were taken just last year — meaning Carrie was the ripe ol’ LEGAL age of 20.
This time, Carrie dropped her top for a professional photo shoot … another partially nude gig that she forgot to tell the Miss California officials about.
Donald Trump will decide today whether or not he’ll give Carrie the heave ho.
Identical $104 white ‘n’ gold string bikinis were especially created for the contest, as well as the $88 bright green string bikinis modeled by the crown-chasers during a pre-pageant photo shoot in Las Vegas.
Simpson’s swimwear collection debuted less than two years ago, so … why did the Miss USA organization opt for these again?
Dayana Mendoza was crowned Miss Universe, in a pageant dominated by Latin beauties. The 22-year-old girl was one of the favorites early on in the beauty contest, held in Vietnam.
Dayana proved her sense of humor while answering gracefully to her question regarding men having it easier in life. She replied,
“men think that the best way to reach a point is a straight line, but we women take some curves and detours to fix everything right”.
As history repeated itself, Miss USA fell during the night gown competition, just as it happened to last yearÂ’s contestant, Rachel Smith, during the 2007 Miss Universe pageant held in Mexico City.
Crystle Stewart quickly stood up, applauded along with the audience and with a smile, continued to model as it nothing had happened.
The Top 10 Contestants:
* Miss Venezuela Dayana Mendoza
* Miss USA Cyrstle Steward
* Miss Italy Claudia Ferraris
* Miss Russia Vera Krasova
* Miss Dominican Republic Marianne Cruz
* Miss Kosovo Zana Krasniqi
* Miss Australia Laura Dundovic
* Miss Spain Claudia Moro
* Miss Mexico Elisa Najera
* Miss Columbia Taliana Vargas
How bizarre is it, that for two years in a row our contestant falls down. I bet Donald Trump is involved somehow.
Heather Mills walked the red carpet at the 2008 Miss USA Pageant — the crowd booed her. As if that wasn’t embarrassing enough — her boobs were crooked!
The former model’s overzealous attempt to lift and separate turned heads for all the wrong reasons over the weekend.
But the night went from bad to worse for the 39-year-old, was later booed and jeered as she was introduced on the judging panel.
Heather has previously claimed that public opinion of her in the US was “99 per cent positive,” and was left visibly upset when part of the audience at the Planet Hollywood hotel began to heckle as she took to the stage with hosts Donny and Marie Osmond.
The bad news for us? It looks like the rumors are true and Heather plans to move to the United States.
“In England, people don’t like me. But I’m going to move to America, Los Angeles hopefully. I love England but everything that has happened makes me realize I’ll be better off in the States.”
Her appearance at the beauty pageant came just days after she launched an astonishing tirade against Sir Paul McCartney and “his three girlfriends” on GMTV, saying: “I wish all the girls the best of luck. Better them than me.”
I fear for this woman’s life.
source: Heather Mills’ wonky cleavage scores low marks as she’s booed at Miss USA pageant [daily mail]
Crystle Stewart, a 26-year-old entrepreneur from Texas, was named Miss USA on Friday, beating 50 other beauty queens for the coveted crown.
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Stewart, of Missouri City, Texas, runs a party-planning and motivational speaking company, as well as modeling professionally. She says she wants to dedicate her life to international philanthropy.
“I want to talk to people about how to set a goal and achieve it,” she told The Associated Press after the show. “Because I just achieved my goal.”
Stewart edged out first runner-up Leah Laviano of Mississippi and Tiffany Andrade of New Jersey.
Miss USA 2007 Rachel Smith relinquished the crown — and the posh New York apartment that comes with it — in a show aired live by NBC with hosts Donny and Marie Osmond from the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip. The network co-owns the parent Miss Universe Organization with Donald Trump.
Smith, a former Miss Tennessee USA, said she was headed to Hollywood.
Stewart was headed for the publicity circuit. She said she was eager to travel and spread her message of self-improvement to young women. She noted she was one of only a handful of black woman crowned Miss USA in the pageant’s 57-year history.
“I think the United States is coming together,” she said, citing the historic presidential candidacies of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. She declined to name her preference.
“I don’t know, we’ll see. Fundamentally, I’m a Democrat,” she said.
Contestants from all 50 states and the District of Columbia have been in Las Vegas for nearly three weeks, rehearsing and hyping the 57th annual pageant. After stints in Baltimore and Los Angeles, organizers billed the new venue as a city beloved by the event’s international audience.
The pageant tried to showed off its edge, featuring a grinding live rock performance by the band Finger Eleven, music from Rihanna, and contestants in barely there black bikinis and faux-fur coats.
Donny and Marie kept up a steady stream of sibling banter even while swiftly whittling the field.
Donny Osmond told the losers to “put on a poker face” as he sent them home.
“Or use Botox; then it won’t move,” Marie quipped.
Stewart will compete in the Miss Universe pageant in Vietnam in July. She also becomes a spokeswoman for breast and ovarian cancer awareness and other causes, while traveling to promote the organization.
In the suit, filed today [see documents] in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Silva is seeking $500,000 in damages for “public humiliation, mental anguish and distress, lost opportunities, lost prizes and lost monies.”
Silva was crowned Miss California on November 25, 2007. Three days later, she says, she was called for a meeting at the pageant director’s home when they dropped a bomb — there had been a mistake, she was not the winner, and they yanked her crown!
Silva, who is of Ecuadoran and Mexican descent, claims that the pageant director never liked her and was looking for an “‘all-American girl’ to win, and not looking to crown another person of color.” For the record, the f*** up has been blamed on human error.
The reigning Miss California, Raquel Beezley, is one-quarter Filipino. She’s in Vegas now gearing up to compete for the title of Miss USA.
Here they are….glamour shots of the women striving to out claw each other to get to that giant gawdy crown. On April 11th in Las Vegas, the ladies will hit the Theatre for the Performing Arts to take the reigns from Rachel Smith. The 57th Annual MISS USA Competition will be broadcasted on NBC from the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino.
Get your TiVo and mute buttons ready!
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AL: Keisha Walding, AK: Courtney Carroll, AZ: Kimberly Joiner, AR: Rachel Howells, CA: Raquel Beezley, CO: Beckie Hughes, CT: Jacqueline Honulik, DE: Vincenza Carrieri-Ruso, DC: Chelsea Rodgers, FL: Jessica Rafalowski
Christina Silva was crowned Miss California USAover a week ago and I hope she enjoyed her time with the crown, because a week is all she’s going to get with it.
Pageant officials announced yesterday that there was an accounting mix-up and the wrong girl was crowned. Second runner-up, Raquel Beezely, was the rightful winner. Christina was forced to give up the crown to Raquel. Officials called it a “human error.”
“They never could explain their accounting error, but told me that if I didn’t give up my crown to Miss Beezely, my personal integrity could be questioned, and my career could potentially suffer.” Christina has hired an attorney and is looking at her options.”
Beauty pageant drama is the best.
What others said:
Dlisted says, “She better watch her ass! Something tells me we have another “pepper-spray incident” coming on. Christina is going to go undercover and get a job at the Miss USA pageant and sabotage that bitch!”
Extra commenter says, “What happened to “Your are FIREDâ€!!! Practice what you preach, Mr. Trump. Are you getting weak. First you forgive Miss Connor, now this? What is next becoming best friends with Rosie O’Donnell?? Can’t wait to see you both together on the red carpet.”
Wow, I knew Donald Trump was an a–hole, but I didn’t think he was this bad. Here’s a quote on his opinion of physical attractiveness:
“Angelina Jolie is sort of amazing because everyone thinks she’s like this great beauty. And I’m not saying she’s an unattractive woman, but she’s not beauty, by any stretch of the imagination. I really understand beauty. And I will tell you, she’s not — I do own Miss Universe. I do own Miss USA. I mean I own a lot of different things. I do understand beauty, and she’s not.â€
Because Donald Trump is a person who should be commenting on beauty. You may be rich, Donald, but you’re ugly, both inside and out.
Source: “Donald Trump Might Actually Be the Devil” [Mollygood]
Image courtesy of Picture Perfect, for use on Gone Hollywood
Remember Miss USA Rachel Smith, the contestant who fell on her ass during the pageant? Well, she’s back making news again, this time for talking smack on Katie Couric. Rachel says she’s hoping to launch a career in journalism.
“I always wanted to be a reporter — maybe some TV. Who knows? Some serious news — but some modeling, too,” Smith said at the Women in Entertainment Empowerment Network event last week, reports the New York Daily News. “I just don’t want to end up like Katie Couric. I want people to take me seriously.”
Katie’s rep responded, “If she continues to offer such profound insight, she will not have to worry about anyone taking her seriously.” That quote’s better than Rachel’s. Smooth, Rachel, smooth.
Source: “Miss USA Disses Katie Couric” [Star]
Image courtesy of Picture Perfect, for use on Gone Hollywood
A 20-year-old dancer from Japan was crowned Miss Universe 2007 on Monday night, marking only the second time her country has won the world beauty title.
And frankly… Miss Brazil should have won!
Dressed in a black, red and purple Japanese-style gown, Riyo Mori nervously grabbed the hands of first runner-up, Natalia Guimaraes of Brazil, just before the winner was announced. Then she threw her hands up and covered her mouth, overcome with emotion.
But she gathered herself together enough to catch the diamond-and-pearl-studded headpiece valued at $250,000 as it slipped off her head when Miss Universe 2006 Zuleyka Rivera of Puerto Rico crowned her. Mori immediately placed it back on her head.
The last time Japan won the pageant was in 1959 when Akiko Kojima became the first Miss Universe from Asia.
“She is an amazing champion, an amazing woman and I hear that they go totally insane in Japan, so that’s good,” said Donald Trump , who co-owns the pageant with NBC.
Miss USA Rachel Smith, who slipped and fell to the floor during the evening gown competition and was jeered by the Mexican audience during the interview phase, was the contest’s fourth runner-up.
Mori, from the small town of Shizuoka at the base of Mount Fuji, won the cheers of the Mexico City audience when she opened her interview, saying ‘Hola, Mexico!’
“I learned how to always be happy, be patient and to be positive, and this is what I want to teach to the next generation,” she said during the interview competition.
The daughter of a dance school operator, Mori said her grandmother told her as a child that she wanted her to be Miss Japan before she turned 20.
“From the very beginning, I entered the competition with high hopes and an unswerving determination to make this dream a reality,” she said in a pre-competition interview.
She wants to someday open an international dance school in Tokyo.
“Right now I am only 20 years old, so I’m really excited about what I’m going to be able to do at this age to benefit society,” Mori said after winning.
The former model’s overzealous attempt to lift and separate turned heads for all the wrong reasons over the weekend. 
“They never could explain their accounting error, but told me that if I didn’t give up my crown to Miss Beezely, my personal integrity could be questioned, and my career could potentially suffer.” Christina has hired an attorney and is looking at her options.”
“Angelina Jolie is sort of amazing because everyone thinks she’s like this great beauty. And I’m not saying she’s an unattractive woman, but she’s not beauty, by any stretch of the imagination. I really understand beauty. And I will tell you, she’s not — I do own Miss Universe. I do own Miss USA. I mean I own a lot of different things. I do understand beauty, and she’s not.â€
Dressed in a black, red and purple Japanese-style gown, Riyo Mori nervously grabbed the hands of first runner-up, Natalia Guimaraes of Brazil, just before the winner was announced. Then she threw her hands up and covered her mouth, overcome with emotion. 
