ATLANTIC CITY, N.J., July 12, 2007

Miss New Jersey Won't Lose Her Crown

Amy Polumbo: "I Feel Like I've Been Crowned Again"

  • Play CBS Video Video Miss New Jersey Keeps Crown

    Based on her forthrightness, the New Jersey Pageant board of directors agreed, unanimously, that Amy Polumbo should continue her reign as Miss New Jersey and compete in the Miss America pageant.

  • Miss New Jersey Amy Polumbo spoke with Matt Lauer about attempts to blackmail her.

    Miss New Jersey Amy Polumbo spoke with Matt Lauer about attempts to blackmail her.  (NBC Photo/Virginia Sherwood)

(AP)  Miss New Jersey will be able to keep her crown despite photos she admits show her acting "not in a ladylike manner," pageant officials ruled Thursday.

Hours after a nervous Amy Polumbo went public with photos of herself that had been sent anonymously to pageant officials, board members decided the pictures did not merit stripping her of the title.

I'm very happy about this decision, and I look forward to resuming my agenda as Miss New Jersey," said a smiling Polumbo, who blew kisses to audience members during the announcement.

Polumbo will represent the Garden State in the next Miss America pageant, which has yet to be scheduled.

Photos: There She Is, Miss America
The beauty pageant winner apologized for the trouble the pictures had caused and thanked the pageant board for their support.

"I want to thank the public," Polumbo said. "I also want to thank God for getting me through this."

Polumbo went public Thursday with the photos that had been sent anonymously to pageant officials.

The pictures include one showing what Polumbo said was her boyfriend apparently biting her breast through her shirt, another of Polumbo in a limousine wearing jeans with her legs spread in the air and another of her in what appears to be a Halloween costume dress holding two small pumpkins up to her breasts.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Add a Comment
by keithle1 July 15, 2007 5:13 PM EDT
"Holding two small pumpkins up to her breasts"?!
LOCK UP THE KIDS! IT'S SODOM & GOMORRAH ALL OVER AGAIN!
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by briansgirl2 July 13, 2007 2:09 PM EDT
Can we get to some real news, please??? This isn't the time when Vanessa lost her crown for lewd pictures. C'mon people, let the child compete already!!!
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by ramos937 July 13, 2007 7:25 AM EDT
I saw most of the pictures she is referring to and while one or two are questionable, none are obscene or lewd or anything like that. My take is that she just wanted the limelight and attention and she got it.
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by July 13, 2007 3:33 AM EDT
Now I can sleep tonight knowing this info....thank god
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by funkiwiteboy July 12, 2007 9:34 PM EDT
we're eatin' cardboard an other whoknowswhat from china, an this be news?
Lawd hep me!!
Reply to this comment
by cbsguest6 July 12, 2007 9:03 PM EDT
All this for some silly photos...
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by bdfriedman0 July 12, 2007 8:27 PM EDT
I think that it's rather eerie that Amy Polumbo has a striking resemblance to 1955's Miss America, Lee Meriwether. I have two requests: (1) May I please see the photographs? (2) Let the poor woman compete in the Miss America pageant.
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