Miss USA Getting Her Crown Checked

Thu., Dec. 14, 2006 8:02 PM PST by Natalie Finn

Is there trouble in Pageant Land?

Responding to reports stating that reigning Miss USA Tara Conner was having her title revoked, pageant organizers—including owner Donald Trump—said Thursday that Connor has not been dethroned.

But she's being "evaluated."

"Reports that Miss USA is being 'dethroned' are absolutely not true," Trump, who co-owns the Miss Universe Organization with NBC, told CNN. Conner is "going through some personal problems and difficulties right now, which could affect her ability to reign. We are right now looking into what we can do to work with her and what we will do about her reign going forward."

Some of Conner's duties since winning her title on Apr. 21 have included riding atop the Show Boat float during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, ringing the opening bell at the American Stock Exchange and attending a variety of fundraisers and promotional events.

While there's no official word on what provoked the investigation into her "behavioral and personal issues," tmz.com reported Thursday that NBC and Miss USA executives met with Conner Tuesday to discuss alleged inappropriate public behavior, including her purported conduct at some New York bars.

For instance, Conner is 20 and, like Lindsay Lohan, shouldn't really be imbibing alcohol at over-21 establishments such as "bars," "pubs," "nightclubs" or other similar watering holes. A spokeswoman for the Miss Universe Organization, which puts on the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants, said that underage drinking is definitely prohibited.

"Mr. Trump will make a determination and announcement within the coming week," Miss Universe Organization President Paula Shugart said in a statement.

Conner, a petite blonde from Russell Springs, Kentucky, has been competing in that alternate universe known as the pageant circuit since she was four. She was second runner-up for Miss Teen USA in 2002 and finished fourth at the Miss Universe pageant in July.

According to pageant rules, if Conner is stripped of her title, first runner-up Tamiko Nash—otherwise known as Miss California—will assume the crown for the rest of the year.

This would work out fine, as well, at least from the vantage point of Trump Tower.

"We had a Miss Universe from Russia [Oxana Federova, Miss Universe 2002] that was a total disaster, and we fired her," the Apprentice tycoon told the Associated Press. "And Miss Panama took over and she did great."