HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — While pageant officials claim Carrie Prejean was fired because she didn't live up to her contractual obligations, the beauty queen offered a much different view shortly after being shown the door.
Prejean, who lost her Miss California title Wednesday, was thrust into the public spotlight at the Miss USA pageant in April when she was quizzed by celebrity blogger and gay-rights advocate Perez Hilton.
"Vermont recently became the fourth state to legalize same-sex marriage," said Hilton. "Do you think every state should follow suit, why or why not?"
"We live in a land where you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite marriage," responded Prejean, who finished as the first runner-up. "And you know what, I think in my country, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there, but that's how I was raised."
In an interview with Access Hollywood's Billy Bush, Prejean said her opinion on same-sex marriage ultimately proved costly.
"It's just because of my answer, I think," she said of her firing. "None of this would be happening right now if I just said, 'Yeah, gays should get married. You're right, Perez Hilton.' "
Wednesday's dismissal came less than a month after pageant co-owner Donald Trump gave Prejean a vote of confidence. In May, the business mogul said the 22-year-old model would retain her title despite many claiming that she was using her post to campaign against same-sex marriage. Prejean also came under fire after nude photos of her taken as a teen surfaced shortly after the Miss USA pageant.
"I told Carrie she needed to get back to work and honor her contract with the Miss California USA Organization and I gave her the opportunity to do so," Trump said yesterday in a statement. "Unfortunately it just doesn't look like it is going to happen."
Prejean told Access that she plans to write about her rollercoaster experience in the near future.
"I'm going to be writing a book soon and it's going to be letting people know the truth about what’s going on and what has gone on through all of this," she said.
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