Ex-Miss USA Contestant Sheena Monnin Asks Court to Throw Out $5 Million Award to Donald Trump in Pageant-Rigging Case

Apprentice czar sued former beauty queen after she alleged that the results of the 2012 pageant were predetermined

By Alexis L. Loinaz Feb 08, 2013 1:54 PMTags
Donald Trump, Sheena Monnin Miss PennsylvaniaGreg Harbaugh/Miss Universe Organization

This isn't a crowning moment for former beauty queen Sheena Monnin.

The erstwhile Miss USA contestant is begging a court to overturn a whopping ruling requiring her to pay Donald Trump's Miss Universe Organization $5 million over her claims that the Stateside pageant was rigged.

In December, a judge ruled that the ex-Miss Pennsylvania had defamed the organization after she alleged that she had spoken with another contestant who had supposedly seen a list of the finalists, well ahead of pageant night.

According to the New York Daily News, Monnin filed a declaration in U.S. District Court earlier this week stating that the $5 million payout would "financially devastate" her for the rest of her life, and is pleading with a judge for leniency.

The court papers also reportedly claim that at the time of the pageant last summer, Monnin had the support of several contestants, who applauded her decision to come forward with the allegations.

"I'm so proud of you," one unnamed contestant purportedly said, while another supposedly told her, "Hopefully, this brings more awareness to how shady this particular competition really was."

In the wake of its victory in December, the Miss Universe Organization said in a statement that it was "pleased that the integrity of the Miss USA Pageant remains intact" and that the organization was "always confident in what the outcome would be as the truth was on our side."