Greg Harbaugh/Miss Universe OrganizationFor a beauty pageant, things sure have gotten ugly!
Donald Trump wasn't joking around when he said he'd sue ex-Miss Pennsylvania for "massive damages" if she didn't apologize and "withdraw her utterly baseless claim" that the Miss USA pageant was rigged." Monnin, 27, stuck to her story, and guess what? The Donald really is taking her to court.
Trump's Miss Universe Organization told E! News Friday that it has filed legal action against Monnin and "intends on pursuing all of its legal rights and remedies, including monetary damages, against Ms. Monnin for her ongoing defamatory statements."
The Donald said Monnin simply suffers from "loser's remorse" and she's "angry" about not winning the Miss USA crown. As for Trump's lovely wife, Melania?
She has her man's back, of course.
"She better watch out," Melania told E! News' Alicia Quarles Friday. "She doesn't tell the truth and it's bad for her."
"What she said is wrong," she added. "Everything is correctly done. Ernst and Young does the counting [to determine the winner] and I think because she lost, she doesn't want to participate anymore. That's not right."
Scott Balber, an attorney representing the Miss Universe Organization, told E! News that this suit has not been filed in public court and the matter will be handled by a private arbitrator. Due to special contracts within the organization, they will not be releasing the suit.
Balber wouldn't get specifics, but did confirm there is a specific monetary amount in terms of damages that the organization is seeking from Monnin. The beauty queen has been served with the suit, but as of Friday afternoon did not yet have a lawyer representing her.
—Additional reporting Alicia Quarles