Sheena Monnin, Miss Pennsylvania USA, was an also-ran in the Miss USA pageant last week. She failed to make the top 16 cut. But she's getting much more attention than the winner, what's-her-name. Monnin resigned from her post, calling the Miss Universe pageant "fraudulent, lacking in morals, inconsistent and in many ways trashy." She wrote on Facebook that a fellow contestant (Miss Florida) saw a list of the top five Miss USA finalists -- before the pageant took place. (http://www.eonline.com/news/miss_pennsylvania_usa_resigns_inclusion/321412)
Miss Universe, Miss USA, and Miss Teen USA all are a joint venture between NBC Universal and Donald Trump, who is certainly no stranger to crises.
Miss Universe Organization responded by filing an arbitration action against Monnin, and Trump's lawyers are reportedly drafting a defamation lawsuit against her. MUO also released a statement, which unfortunately doesn't appear on its website (http://www.missuniverse.com/news/index). That statement to E! read, "In an email to state pageant organizers, she cited the Miss Universe Organization's policy regarding transgendered contestants, implemented two months ago, as the reason for her resignation. Today she has changed her story by publicly making false accusations claiming that the pageant was fixed, however the contestant she privately sourced (sic) as her reference has vehemently refuted her most recent claim. We are disappointed that she would attempt to steal the spotlight from Olivia Culpo of Rhode Island on her well-deserved Miss USA win."
Monnin tells a different story on her Facebook page. "I agree that it is my moral obligation to state what I witnessed and what I know to be true. I will relay to you the reasoning behind my resignation. I witnessed another contestant who said she saw the list of the Top 5 BEFORE THE SHOW EVER STARTED proceed to call out in order who the Top 5 were before they were announced on stage. Apparently the morning of June 3rd she saw a folder lying open to a page that said 'FINAL SHOW Telecast, June 3, 2012' and she saw the places for Top 5 already filled in.... Top 16 were called and we were standing backstage she hesitantly said to me and another contestant that she knew who the Top 5 were. I said 'who do you think they will be?' She said that she didn't 'think' she 'knew' because she saw the list that morning.... After it was indeed the Top 5 I knew the show must be rigged; I decided at that moment to distance myself from an organization who did not allow fair play and whose morals did not match my own." (https://www.facebook.com/sheena.monnin/posts/4102910811791)
Miss Universe Organization claims that only one of the five names supposed to be on that pre-pageant list was called among the finals. Miss Florida, who supposedly saw the list, now says she was joking. "Monnin says, 'I have many years of psychological training. I know when someone is scared and serious. Her body language was serious.'" (http://www.tmz.com/2012/06/08/miss-pennsylvania-donald-trump-miss-universe-lawsuit-nbc-today/)
All those years of psychological training, by the way, consist of a Master's from the University of Phoenix.
Organizations need to proceed with caution before they take legal steps against an individual. If the actions go forward, Monnin's accusation will receive more publicity. The Miss Universe people and Trump should issue a denial and post it on the website. They should respond to questions from media, staff, and contestants. They need to authorize judges to speak about the integrity of the pageant -- if integrity indeed exists.
Then MUO needs to get out of the headlines and stay out. The smoldering crisis will continue as long as Miss Universe fans the flames. If Monnin persists, that changes the strategy. But most people will soon tire of the story if there's no new information. Miss Universe Organization needs to be careful not to provide any new information.
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