E! IllustrationThere's only so much beauty and grace before it comes tumbling down.
Year after year beauty pageants are held, and sometimes they happen to go off without a hitch. Other times, Steve Harvey announces the wrong name and all hell breaks loose. But much to the chagrin of pageant organizers and fans around the world, the winners cause the controversy.
Throughout the years beauty queens from Miss Universe, Miss America, Miss USA and other pageants have sadly fallen from grace due to drug scandals, legal snafus, "racy" photos and more. Obviously, each scandal—and there have been plenty—makes headlines, but we're rounding up some of the biggest falls from beauty queen grace:
1. Brandi Weaver-Gates: The former Miss Pennsylvania U.S. International was stripped of her crown after it was discovered that she had faked a cancer diagnosis in order to raise money for false medical bills and treatments. Following her arrest, the Miss Pennsylvania U.S. International organization released a statement to E! News stating she would have to return her sash and crown upon her release from being detained.
2. Melissa King: The brunette, who was crowned Miss Delaware 2013, resigned after her alleged sex tape surfaced. While she claimed the woman in the video was not her, she handed in her tiara shortly after the scandal.
3. Vanessa Williams: She made history in 1983 for being named the first black woman to win Miss America, but her victory was overshadowed after nude photos of the actress in Penthouse released in 1984.
4. Lindsey Evans: Miss Teen Louisiana 2008 lost her title after she dined and dashed on a $46 tab. She also left behind her purse that had marijuana in it.
5. Katie Rees: Former Miss Nevada lost her title after racy photos of her at a party surfaced, but her troubles didn't end there. Rees reportedly was also arrested for allegedly assaulting a police officer and also faced meth-related charges.
6. Ashley Harder: Former Miss New Jersey 2007 was forced to turn down her crown after she became pregnant.
7. Laura Zuniga: She won Mexico's Nuestra Belleza pageant in 2008, but lost the crown after she found herself in the middle of a drug trafficking scandal. She was arrested with seven armed men, but claimed she didn't know her boyfriend was part of the infamous Juarez Cartel and was taken against her will. She was ultimately released because there was no proof she committed a crime, but she did earn the title Miss Narco.
8. Tara Conner: She lost her Miss USA 2006 crown after allegations of drug use and excessive partying came to light. Tamiko Nash of California replaced her.
While seemingly perfect on the outside, the pageant world has a dark inside.