Donald Trump: "Second Chance" for Miss Pennsylvania USA If She Apologizes ASAP!

Miss Universe honcho feels magnanimous, gives resigned beauty queen Sheena Monnin shot at avoiding lawsuit over claims that Miss USA pageant was rigged

By Natalie Finn Jun 07, 2012 1:30 AMTags
Donald Trump, Sheena Monnin Miss PennsylvaniaGreg Harbaugh/Miss Universe Organization

Donald Trump is feeling magnanimous today.

Hours after vowing to sue Sheena Monnin, the former Miss Pennsylvania USA who turned in her crown and publicly claimed that last weekend's Miss USA pageant was rigged, Trump now says that he's willing to not seek "massive damages" from her, on one condition.

"Donald Trump believes in giving everyone a second chance, including Ms. Sheena Monnin," Michael D. Cohen, executive VP and special counsel to Trump, said in a statement to E! News.

"Accordingly, if Ms. Monnin in a writing received by Mr. Trump within the next 24 hours apologizes and withdraws her utterly baseless claim that the Miss USA pageant results were predetermined, then and only then will Mr. Trump and the Miss USA Organization not proceed with litigation against Ms. Monnin seeking massive damages for her defamatory and offensive remarks."

In resigning from her post, the 27-year-old stated, "In good conscience I can no longer be affiliated in any way with an organization I consider to be fraudulent, lacking in morals, inconsistent, and in many ways trashy." She later wrote on Facebook that another Miss USA contestant had told her she seen a list of the eventual top-five finishers before the pageant got underway.

The Miss Universe Organization countered with a statement pointing out that Monnin finished out of the top 16 on Sunday and informed the company via email that she was especially upset by Miss Universe's decision two months ago to allow transgender women to compete.

Trump called Monnin's claims of result-rigging "absolutely ridiculous" and attributed her behavior to a case of sore loserism.

"She lost and if you look at her compared to the people who were in the top 15, you would understand why she's not in the top 15," he said. "It's a very, very sad situation."