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Ex-Miss Nevada Wants a Second Chance

Tue., Dec. 26, 2006 9:30 AM PST by Sarah Hall

Embattled Miss USA Tara Conner is still a role model for at least one young woman: embattled former Miss Nevada USA Katie Rees.

The latter beauty queen, who was stripped of her title last week after racy photos of her surfaced on the Internet, called a tearful press conference in Clearwater, Florida, on Saturday to beg for a second chance like the one granted to Conner by a briefly benevolent Donald Trump.

"I am so sorry this happened," a conservatively dressed Rees said. "So many of us just don't realize how our actions—even one night of poor judgment—can affect the rest of our lives."

The so-called night of poor judgment that cost Rees her crown involved her posing for pictures with her breasts and thong exposed, and while swapping spit with friends of both genders.

But the former Nevada champ insisted that the snapshots did not provide an accurate picture of the person she really is.

"Simply put, these images were from an isolated incident during my teenage years, long before my consideration to compete in the Miss USA program," Rees said Saturday, as her parents and attorney stood by her side.

"While I take full responsibility for the photographs, I just want everyone to know the truth. This incident does not reflect who I am or who I plan to be."

Though the photos of Rees, now 22, were initially said to have been taken when she was only 17, they are now believed to have been snapped when she was a (barely) legal woman of 19.

The incriminating pictures were first posted on the MySpace page of a Las Vegas event planner. Though no longer available on said page, they remain widely available on numerous Websites.

The Trump-owned Miss Universe Organization removed Rees from her duties as Miss Nevada USA on Thursday, just two days after allowing Conner to keep her crown, despite her admitted underage drinking in various New York establishments.

"Tara is a good person. Tara has tried hard. Tara is going to be given a second chance," Trump said at last week's press conference.

However, it seems that the Donald may have exhausted his supply of holiday cheer when it comes to Rees' case. (And we suspect Rosie O'Donnell might have had something to do with that.)

Her Tampa-based attorney, Mario Torres III, said the beauty queen has reached out to Trump to ask for a meeting in order to plead her case, but he has not returned her phone calls.

"Our number one goal is to have her reinstated," Torres said. "Ms. Rees did not even recollect these photos were taken…The person who posted these pictures should, in some way, be held accountable."

As of now, Rees' first runner-up Helen Salas is the reigning Miss Nevada USA and will compete for the Miss USA 2007 title at next year's pageant.

Rees had cautionary words for other girls tempted to follow in her footsteps and pull a Girls Gone Wild for the camera.

"Don't let down your guard when it comes to being photographed. No matter how close you are with someone, how much you trust that person, do not let anyone make you vulnerable," Rees advised.