At first I thought wow, this girl is so cool to get up after falling on her butt in front of the whole world like it was nothing. But then I realized it is because she was not smart enough to care. Needless to say she did not win the Miss Universe title.
Don’t be surprised if the new Miss America vomits on Mario Lopez when she gets crowned tonight. Not from all the excitement, mind you. I’m told a flu-like sickness has been plaguing the pageant since last week. Three of the beauty contest’s six judges fell ill during the last few days of preliminary competitions. First up was Delta Burke. "She became horribly ill the day after she arrived and didn’t make it through the initial interview process," a source tells me. "She couldn’t continue as a judge for the first night of preliminaries on Thursday." Two nights later, fellow judges Debbie Allen and Michael Feinstein were MIA for the start of that evening’s pageant festivities. "They were ill in their suites and were being checked out by the hotel doctor," my source says. "They finally made it to the backstage door—15 minutes late!—and crawled to their judge positions." Fortunately, at least as of today, fellow judges, Hardball host Chris Matthews, Miss America 1981 Susan Powell and America’s Next Top Model’s Nigel Barker have remained healthy. Barker ended up playing nurse. "Nigel escorted Debbie to her seat [on Saturday]," my source says. "She clutched his arm and walked very slowly." The final night of competition airs live tonight on CMT from the Alladin in Las Vegas. Dancing with the Stars Lopez makes his debut as host. The only thing Lopez may suffer from tonight is too much energy. I’m told the single thing he requested for his dressing room was plenty of cans of sugar-free Red Bull.
I had heard about Delta Burke having to pull out, but not about the others. Hopefully they will all be better tonight because nothing would be worse than seeing a whole bunch of beauty queens throwing up on live TV. Scratch that, how cool would that be! And finally we now know Mario Lopez’s secret for always being so upbeat…sugar-free Red Bulls!
MARLTON BEAUTY Ashley Harder has resigned as Miss New Jersey USA because she is pregnant, Harder confirmed yesterday. Harder, 20, has informed the Miss Universe Organization, which oversees the pageant. Her first runner-up, Erin Abrahamson, will step in to compete as Miss New Jersey in the Miss USA pageant March 23 in Los Angeles. "It was my decision to resign due to the situation," Harder, a graduate of Camden Catholic High, told us in an interview yesterday. It’s against the rules of Miss USA to compete while pregnant. Harder says she and live-in boyfriend Gregg D’Antonio, 28, are expecting their baby in "late summer." They are planning to wed, but are taking things "one step at a time," Harder said. D’Antonio owns Trig Snowboarding, a snowboarding apparel company. Harder is part of the CW Philly 57 Crew, appearing on air, and also working as a Channel 57 (WPSG-TV) community ambassador. She was crowned Miss New Jersey USA in October in what was her first beauty pageant. This has been an unusual year for the Miss USA organization. Last month, Miss Nevada Katie Rees was dethroned after photos of her exposing her breasts and kissing another girl popped up on online gossip sites. And last month, Miss USA Tara Conner entered rehab at Wernersville’s Caron Foundation after admitting to underage drinking, after media reports surfaced about her alleged drug and alcohol abuse and sxual indiscretions. "This isn’t another scandal. This is a baby; this is a life," Harder said when asked if she was worried her pregnancy would be treated as scandal, in light of Rees and Conner. Harder says being a mom "is a title I have always wanted and will always cherish." Harder began her modeling career while in high school, where she was a National Honor Society student. She moved to New York after graduating in 2004 to work as a model. She’s traveled to Japan and appeared in ads for Pepsi and Versace, among others. She’ll be cheering for Abrahamson to represent New Jersey in the Miss USA pageant in March. Abrahamson, 22, is a senior at Montclair State, and also an aspiring singer. The Miss Universe Organization could not be reached for comment.
A JOB is waiting when Tara Conner gets out of rehab. Playboy wants to shoot the troubled Miss USA for its cover. Donald Trump and his execs at the Miss Universe Organization are mulling the offer. Conner, who hails from a small town in Kentucky, was nearly stripped of her title after it was alleged she was having sex with sleazy nightclubbing cads who were giving her cocaine. Said an insider, "If Trump allowed her to do it, it would have to be in good taste." Which means she’ll keep her top on.
Katie Rees, the dethroned Miss Nevada USA 2007, partied in a Las Vegas topless club on New Year’s Eve amid rumblings of a widening sex scandal. Rees, who was spotted at the topless club Seamless in the wee hours of New Year’s Day, is facing new allegations that involve two unnamed Las Vegas celebrities, sources say. Rees, a former Florida resident who won the Nevada title in October, was stripped of her title last month after pornographic photos of her surfaced on a Web site associated with escort services. Rees, 25, whose mother is a Miss America pageant director in Tampa, Fla., asked for the second chance that Miss USA Tara Connor received, saying her photo missteps were a one-time thing. KVBC-TV, Channel 3, reporter Alicia Jacobs, who broke the initial story on Rees’ bad behavior, reported Thursday that the Nevada Miss USA organizers had reason to believe the scandal was far from over. More allegations are coming, Jacobs said in her report.
Don’t be surprised if the new Miss America vomits on Mario Lopez when she gets crowned tonight. Not from all the excitement, mind you. I’m told a flu-like sickness has been plaguing the pageant since last week. Three of the beauty contest’s six judges fell ill during the last few days of preliminary competitions. First up was Delta Burke. "She became horribly ill the day after she arrived and didn’t make it through the initial interview process," a source tells me. "She couldn’t continue as a judge for the first night of preliminaries on Thursday." Two nights later, fellow judges Debbie Allen and Michael Feinstein were MIA for the start of that evening’s pageant festivities. "They were ill in their suites and were being checked out by the hotel doctor," my source says. "They finally made it to the backstage door—15 minutes late!—and crawled to their judge positions." Fortunately, at least as of today, fellow judges, Hardball host Chris Matthews, Miss America 1981 Susan Powell and America’s Next Top Model’s Nigel Barker have remained healthy. Barker ended up playing nurse. "Nigel escorted Debbie to her seat [on Saturday]," my source says. "She clutched his arm and walked very slowly." The final night of competition airs live tonight on CMT from the Alladin in Las Vegas. Dancing with the Stars Lopez makes his debut as host. The only thing Lopez may suffer from tonight is too much energy. I’m told the single thing he requested for his dressing room was plenty of cans of sugar-free Red Bull.
MARLTON BEAUTY Ashley Harder has resigned as Miss New Jersey USA because she is pregnant, Harder confirmed yesterday. Harder, 20, has informed the Miss Universe Organization, which oversees the pageant. Her first runner-up, Erin Abrahamson, will step in to compete as Miss New Jersey in the Miss USA pageant March 23 in Los Angeles. "It was my decision to resign due to the situation," Harder, a graduate of Camden Catholic High, told us in an interview yesterday. It’s against the rules of Miss USA to compete while pregnant. Harder says she and live-in boyfriend Gregg D’Antonio, 28, are expecting their baby in "late summer." They are planning to wed, but are taking things "one step at a time," Harder said. D’Antonio owns Trig Snowboarding, a snowboarding apparel company. Harder is part of the CW Philly 57 Crew, appearing on air, and also working as a Channel 57 (WPSG-TV) community ambassador. She was crowned Miss New Jersey USA in October in what was her first beauty pageant. This has been an unusual year for the Miss USA organization. Last month, Miss Nevada Katie Rees was dethroned after photos of her exposing her breasts and kissing another girl popped up on online gossip sites. And last month, Miss USA Tara Conner entered rehab at Wernersville’s Caron Foundation after admitting to underage drinking, after media reports surfaced about her alleged drug and alcohol abuse and sxual indiscretions. "This isn’t another scandal. This is a baby; this is a life," Harder said when asked if she was worried her pregnancy would be treated as scandal, in light of Rees and Conner. Harder says being a mom "is a title I have always wanted and will always cherish." Harder began her modeling career while in high school, where she was a National Honor Society student. She moved to New York after graduating in 2004 to work as a model. She’s traveled to Japan and appeared in ads for Pepsi and Versace, among others. She’ll be cheering for Abrahamson to represent New Jersey in the Miss USA pageant in March. Abrahamson, 22, is a senior at Montclair State, and also an aspiring singer. The Miss Universe Organization could not be reached for comment.
A JOB is waiting when Tara Conner gets out of rehab. Playboy wants to shoot the troubled Miss USA for its cover. Donald Trump and his execs at the Miss Universe Organization are mulling the offer. Conner, who hails from a small town in Kentucky, was nearly stripped of her title after it was alleged she was having sex with sleazy nightclubbing cads who were giving her cocaine. Said an insider, "If Trump allowed her to do it, it would have to be in good taste." Which means she’ll keep her top on. 
Katie Rees, the dethroned Miss Nevada USA 2007, partied in a Las Vegas topless club on New Year’s Eve amid rumblings of a widening sex scandal. Rees, who was spotted at the topless club Seamless in the wee hours of New Year’s Day, is facing new allegations that involve two unnamed Las Vegas celebrities, sources say. Rees, a former Florida resident who won the Nevada title in October, was stripped of her title last month after pornographic photos of her surfaced on a Web site associated with escort services. Rees, 25, whose mother is a Miss America pageant director in Tampa, Fla., asked for the second chance that Miss USA Tara Connor received, saying her photo missteps were a one-time thing. KVBC-TV, Channel 3, reporter Alicia Jacobs, who broke the initial story on Rees’ bad behavior, reported Thursday that the Nevada Miss USA organizers had reason to believe the scandal was far from over. More allegations are coming, Jacobs said in her report.
