UPDATE: Donald Trump has called a press conference for next Tuesday to announce whether Prejean will be permitted to keep her Miss California crown.
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So apparently this scandal-lite could have been avoided if... Carrie Prejean had just bared all?
All her past indiscretions, that is.
Miss California USA runner-up Tami Farrell—who lost out to Prejean for a chance to compete for the 2009 Miss USA title—tells E! News that she thinks Prejean's biggest mistake was lying to pageant organizers about her checkered photographic past.
"They asked specifically in her contract if she and done any racy photos," Farrell, 24, told us when we caught up with her outside her West Hollywood apartment. "I believe it said on her contract that she said 'No, I didn't take any of those pictures.' "
Not exactly legalese, but we get the point.
Farrell's mother Stephanie, a former pageant director, says that if contestants are upfront about having posed for racy pics, typically the Miss USA Organization will make a deal with the photographer to keep the questionable shots under wraps.
Farrell also implied that Prejean may be too distracted these days to be sufficiently meeting the responsibility that comes with being Miss California.
"You have a job and you want to report to your superiors," says Farrell. "If you're not showing up for your responsibilities, is it really that surprising that there's question that you might lose that position?"
"As Carrie Prejean, she can speak and say whatever she wants—but as Miss California she needs to go through her directors first and that's where I think they run into some issues."
There's been no complaint from Donald Trump or the Miss Universe Organization, which operates the Miss USA circuit, about Prejean shirking her duties. Trump just said Wednesday that he was looking into whether the photos of Prejean were dirty enough for her to get the boot.
If Farrell were to take over the role—nothing she's been asked to do, as yet—she says she would do a better job keeping the spotlight on her charitable efforts and other title-appropriate activities.
"When you're put in a position as a role model you want to be careful with what you do as well as with what you say," Farrell said. "I think it's unfortunate but at the end of the day, [Prejean is] a 21-year old girl and she's going to be scrutinized for whatever she does because she's in the public eye."
And, Farrell wrote in an email to a pageant official that was obtained by TMZ, she "can only hope to refocus all the attention from the current controversy onto some of the more positive aspects of the program."
Well, we don't promise to do that. Remember last year, when Christina Silva thought she had won, only to be informed that an mathematical error was made in her favor, and Raquel Beezley was actually the winner? Then Silva sued the Miss Universe Organization?
Jeepers.
(Originally published May 7, 2009, at 6:30 a.m. PT)