Carrie Prejean Stands by, Well, Carrie Prejean

Update

Carrie Prejean Stands by, Well, Carrie Prejean

Thu., Jun. 11, 2009 7:05 PM PDT by Breanne L. Heldman and Natalie Finn

The now former Miss California is talking.

Carrie Prejean is finally speaking out, a day after Donald Trump and the pageant decided to give her the boot.

"I've done my best under the difficult circumstances to handle the vicious attacks with integrity and show respect to others, even those who don't agree with me," she said in a written statement just after congratulating her successor, Tami Farrell, thanking Trump and (finally) saying a nice word or two about the Miss California pageant.

"I worked in good faith to meet my responsibilities as Miss California USA," she continues, before vaguely addressing some of the harsh accusations coming from her employers and the rest of the Internet.

Miss California pageant head Keith Lewis went on the morning-show circuit today to talk about the "tens and tens and tens" of appearances the crown holder missed.

"She was unavailable. She didn't want to make them. She was just really difficult to work with. She didn't want to make any appearances in Hollywood," he told CBS's Early Show. "It was a combative relationship."

"I have met every scheduled appearance, and responsibility, as recently as May 31st," she said in the statement. "I have followed the proper protocol requested of me and haven't made any appearances or speaking engagements without the consent or approval from the Miss California USA or Miss Universe Organizations. I have not signed with any book publisher or taken on any business proposals. As of today, June 11, 2009, I have done everything possible to honor my contract."

If they are to be believed, an email exchange between Lewis and Prejean, obtained by Fox News, would disprove that statement. (E! News has been unable to independently verify the exchange).

Additionally, the fallen tiara-wearer was reportedly offered a position on I'm a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! and a "partial nudity" photo shoot with Playboy. Supposedly, Lewis nixed the offers on Prejean's behalf but also asked Prejean to give her own official rejection.

In her first TV interview since being dethroned, Prejean told Fox News' Sean Hannity (a big fan of hers during the whole gay marriage to-do) that she was in fact offered a Playboy spread, and in turn emailed Lewis, "Why would you even allow this offer to be presented?"

"I could not believe the email that I received...my mouth just dropped, Sean," she said tonight. "I couldn't believe my directors were asking me to do this kind of thing."

Prejean said that she found out that she had been fired when a member of the media called her for comment.

"I honestly don't know what happened," she said.

She continued to insist that her opposition to legalizing gay marriage is the reason she finds herself now without a title.

"All I know is from the moment I gave my answer onstage that night, I have had no support from Keith Lewis or Shanna Moakler or anyone in the miss California organization," Prejean said.

"This is all happening right now, because of the stance that I took for traditional marriage."

Her statement from today concluded: "I am proud to be an American, and blessed to have had the opportunity to exercise my freedom of speech.

"I am excited and looking forward to where God leads me in the future. I know He has big plans for me. I am proud to be the strong woman God has molded me to be. I will always stand for the truth, respectfully, and never back down. Thank you and God bless."

(Originally published June 11, 2009, at 1:18 p.m. PT)

________

Follow us on Twitter @eonline!