Beauty Blunders: Pageant Scandals Through the Years

Tara Conner, Miss USA 2006

Crown Controversy: The small-town girl became the center of a big-time firestorm after newspaper reports alleged cocaine use, public kissing sessions with Miss Teen USA, and random men emerging from her swanky New York apartment. Pageant organizer Donald Trump quickly exploited the publicity and held a press conference to express his support of the troubled teen queen.

Related Links

• 'Miss USA' Listings
• Talk About the Scandals

Ashley Harder, Miss New Jersey USA 2007

Crown Controversy: A baby got in the way of this beauty queen's dreams. Harder had to resign her title after learning she was pregnant. Miss USA contest rules prohibit women from being pregnant or ever having given birth.

More About 'Bourne'

• Get movie details
• See Matt Damon photos

Katie Rees, Miss Nevada USA 2007

Crown Controversy: Photos of Rees' naughty romps at a Florida nightclub were enough to get her dethroned. Compromising pictures of the queen with other women inexplicably made it onto the MySpace page of an escort service owner, and Rees was given the boot.

More About 'Grindhouse'

• Watch the trailer
• See poster and synopsis

Heather Whitestone, Miss America 1995

Crown Controversy: Cochlear implants, devices which restore hearing, are a flashpoint in the deaf community. So Whitestone -- the first deaf Miss America -- made headlines when she decided to get them. She justified it by saying she wanted to be able to hear her son's cries for help.

More About '300'

• Watch the trailer
• See poster and photos
• Read our early preview
• Get wallpapers
• Download screensavers

Leona Gage, Miss USA 1957

Crown Controversy: Pageant scandals are nothing new and neither are bitchy mothers-in-law. Gage's in-law revealed to the public that she was 18 -- not 21, like her pageant application stated -- was in her second marriage and had two children. In tears, Gage explained that she needed the prize money to support her family.

More About 'Phoenix'

• Watch the trailer
• See photos
• Get synopsis and details
• See the spooky poster

Oxana Federova, Miss Universe 2002

Crown Controversy: Being Miss Universe is a full-time job it seems. Federova, a full-time law student, missed too many events and complained that the title's requirements interfered with her studies. "I never had any intention of abandoning my university work," she said at the time.

Marjorie Wallace, Miss World 1973

Crown Controversy: Wallace was dethroned for dating big-name celebrities like singer Tom Jones, which angered pageant organizers. They claimed she wasn't upholding the Miss World's reputation. But the dating, not the pageant, paid off; Wallace later became a successful television host.

Vanessa Williams, Miss America 1983

Crown Controversy: She's arguably the most successful former pageant winner ever. But pageant days weren't so promising. Without her consent, Penthouse magazine published graphic photos of Williams with another woman. The scrutiny was so intense, she was compelled to resign her position. Several TV shows and 11 Grammy nominations later, she's no worse for the wear.