Beauty queen ordered to pay Miss USA pageant $5M for defamation

Photo provided by Miss Universe Organization shows Miss Pennsylvania Sheena Monnin competing in 2012 Miss USA Presentation Show May 30, 2012, in Las Vegas. / AP

NEW YORK A beauty queen who claimed this year's Miss USA contest was fixed has been ordered to pay the pageant organization $5 million for defamation.

In a decision signed last week, an arbitrator found that the comments from Miss Pennsylvania USA Sheena Monnin were false, harmful and malicious. Monnin had alleged that the five finalists had been selected in advance of the pageant's live telecast.

The arbitrator, Theodore Katz, said Monnin had two motives: "She was a disgruntled contestant who failed to make it past the preliminary competition," and she objected to the pageant's decision to allow transgender contestants.

• Miss USA Organization seeks damages from ex-Miss Pennsylvania
• Miss Pennsylvania USA Sheena Monnin claims pageant rigged

He wrote that the way the contest is judged "precludes any reasonable possibility that the judging was rigged."

21 Photos

Miss USA 2012

Monnin, of Cranberry, Pa., resigned her state title after the pageant. Her allegations on Facebook and NBC's "Today" show cost the pageant a $5 million fee from a potential 2013 sponsor, Katz said.

Monnin's lawyer, Richard Klineburger III, had no comment on the decision, his office said.

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Miss USA 2012 contestants

Katz said Monnin agreed to arbitrate any disputes when she became a Miss USA contestant, but he wrote in his decision that she and her lawyer didn't participate in the process and claimed they were not required to do so.

The winner of the Miss USA pageant, Olivia Culpo, of Rhode Island, competes Wednesday in the Miss Universe pageant.

[JohnMillennian]

The penalty seems high, but in a credit system, she may end up the big winner.

[jeffinpa1234]

A paper win only for the Donald.

There will be more legal proceedings on this.....you can bet on that!

[maistir]

As a famous wit once said, "If only those were brains".

[royalstar05]

She doesnt have the 5 mill so she'll pull a Trump and file bankruptcy and it will be done with.

[bobnjersey]

[Katz said Monnin agreed to arbitrate any disputes when she became a Miss USA contestant, but he wrote in his decision that she and her lawyer didn't participate in the process and claimed they were not required to do so.]
---------------------------------------------------
who picked the arbitrator?

that's some process they have there ... the party involved is not involved?

this case isn't over.

[FormerUSMCSergeant]

Well, this ditzy broad will have to make 5 mil just to break even, now.
That's a lot of sour grapes.

[HobartSchmenge]

She could always pawn those implants. Not sure it would bring in $5 mill though.

[endrepubs]

I agree with Miss Penn on the transgender issue.

[996Ducati]

Me too!

[Blatensphere]

nice boobies.

[HobartSchmenge]

"Boobies?" Really? Let's be mature and refer to them by their proper name: Funbags

[randomites]

She has very nice breasts.