Miss Usa Beauty Pageant

Miss Hawaii, Brook Lee, was crowned the new Miss USA Wednesday night. Lee succeeds Ali Landry. The title comes with more than $170,000 in cash and prizes, as well as a chance to compete in the Miss Universe pageant in May. Brandi Sherwood, Miss Idaho, was the first runner-up, earning a $4,000 prize, and Miss Tennessee, Towanna Stone, was the second runner-up, winning $2,000.

The search for beauty has turned mighty ugly in the aftermath of the Miss USA 2012 pageant. First, Miss Pennsylvania, Sheena Monnin, claimed the Sunday outcome was rigged and gave up her state crown in protest. Then, pageant officials said Monnin -- who failed to make the top 15 -- had really quit because she opposed competing against transgender contestants, who were allowed into the pageant for the first time this year. Enter Donald Trump, the co-owner of the Miss USA and Miss Universe Pageant, who denied Monnin's allegations and took a not-so-veiled stab at her appearance during an interview Wednesday on "Good Morning America.

Ever since Miss California Carrie Prejean declared onstage last month at the Miss USA Pageant that she believed gay people should not have the right to marry, she has battled her critics in TV interviews, been championed by groups opposed to same-sex marriage and pretty much eclipsed the woman who beat her to become the reigning Miss USA. (Does anyone even remember what state the winner was from?) But that's nothing compared to what Prejean did to the Miss California organization.

Ever since Miss California Carrie Prejean declared onstage last month at the Miss USA Pageant that she believed gay people should not have the right to marry, she has battled her critics in TV interviews, been championed by groups opposed to same-sex marriage and pretty much eclipsed the woman who beat her to become the reigning Miss USA. (Does anyone even remember what state the winner was from?) But that's nothing compared to what Prejean did to the Miss California organization.

The organizers of the Miss USA pageant say they are evaluating the "behavioral and personal issues" of the reigning winner and will decide her future within a week. Pageant officials and Donald Trump, who co-owns the Miss Universe Organization with NBC, would not say what Kentucky native Tara Conner, 20, had done to prompt the serious evaluation. Trump said that if Conner gets the boot, runner-up Miss California Tamiko Nash would take over as Miss USA.

Yesenia Martinez, 7, fantasizes about being Miss USA one day. On Monday, she did the next best thing; she donned Miss USA's crown. "I wore her crown. It looked good," said Yesenia, a leukemia patient at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. While the Panorama youngster modeled her crown, Kimberly Pressler, this year's Miss USA, had a pint of blood drawn to donate to Yesenia, who requires frequent blood transfusions and chemotherapy.

Ali Landry, 22, of Louisiana beat out 50 other contestants to win the Miss USA competition at South Padre Island. The University of Southwestern Louisiana student was crowned by the reigning Miss USA, Shanna Lynn Moakler. Landry said she plans to continue her involvement with the Women Helping Others Foundation "in an effort to provide crucially needed support in health education and wellness concerns for women and children." The first runner-up was Miss Kansas, Danielle Boatwright.

Shannon La Rhea Marketic, a 22-year-old Pepperdine University student, was crowned Miss USA 1992 Friday night. The Malibu native looked upward and stretched her hands out with palms upraised when she realized that she had won. She then made a thank you gesture to the audience and judges. When host Dick Clark asked her how she felt, Marketic was nearly unable to speak. "I don't know," she said. "Oh, wow."

For the first time, viewers can officially vote their picks for Miss USA finalists, via the Internet, in advance of NBC's broadcast of the 54th annual Miss USA Competition on April 11. As part of a partnership between the Miss Universe Organization and cosmetics company CoverGirl, viewers will be able to go online at www.covergirl.

Miss Texas, Chelsi Smith, an education major from Houston, was crowned Miss USA 1995 before a home state crowd Friday night. The 21-year-old sophomore at San Jacinto Junior College, who gives motivational speeches to urban youth, won the swimsuit and interview rounds based on judges' scores. Miss USA 1994, Lu Parker of South Carolina, crowned her successor.

Things got even uglier Thursday in the bitter war of words between Donald Trump and Rosie O'Donnell. The Donald called Los Angeles-based morning TV show "Good Day L.A." to sound off on O'Donnell's remarks about his near-firing of Miss USA Tara Conner. "Maybe she wanted to put the crown back on Miss USA's head," the real-estate mogul said of the openly gay O'Donnell, who has four children with partner Kelli Carpenter O'Donnell.

Miss USA Tara Conner, who had come under criticism amid rumors she had been frequenting bars while underage, will be allowed to keep her title, Donald Trump announced Tuesday. "I've always been a believer in second chances," Trump, who owns the Miss Universe Organization with NBC, said with Conner at his side. Trump said he and Conner had met earlier Tuesday morning.

The organizers of the Miss USA pageant say they are evaluating the "behavioral and personal issues" of the reigning winner and will decide her future within a week. Pageant officials and Donald Trump, who co-owns the Miss Universe Organization with NBC, would not say what Kentucky native Tara Conner, 20, had done to prompt the serious evaluation. Trump said that if Conner gets the boot, runner-up Miss California Tamiko Nash would take over as Miss USA.

For the first time, viewers can officially vote their picks for Miss USA finalists, via the Internet, in advance of NBC's broadcast of the 54th annual Miss USA Competition on April 11. As part of a partnership between the Miss Universe Organization and cosmetics company CoverGirl, viewers will be able to go online at www.covergirl.

Yesenia Martinez, 7, fantasizes about being Miss USA one day. On Monday, she did the next best thing; she donned Miss USA's crown. "I wore her crown. It looked good," said Yesenia, a leukemia patient at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. While the Panorama youngster modeled her crown, Kimberly Pressler, this year's Miss USA, had a pint of blood drawn to donate to Yesenia, who requires frequent blood transfusions and chemotherapy.

A New Yorker who said she'd forsake her boyfriend to become Miss USA 1999 won the title Friday. "I think if true love is there, it will be there afterward," Kimberly Ann Pressler, 21, said as she waved to her boyfriend. Miss Tennessee, Morgan Tandy High, was named first runner-up. Miss California, Angelique Breaux, was the second runner-up.

A New Yorker who said she'd forsake her boyfriend to become Miss USA 1999 won the title Friday. "I think if true love is there, it will be there afterward," Kimberly Ann Pressler, 21, said as she waved to her boyfriend. Miss Tennessee, Morgan Tandy High, was named first runner-up. Miss California, Angelique Breaux, was the second runner-up.

Miss USA Tara Conner, who had come under criticism amid rumors she had been frequenting bars while underage, will be allowed to keep her title, Donald Trump announced Tuesday. "I've always been a believer in second chances," Trump, who owns the Miss Universe Organization with NBC, said with Conner at his side. Trump said he and Conner had met earlier Tuesday morning.

Shawnae Jebbia, Miss Massachusetts, was crowned the new Miss USA to culminate the 47th annual pageant, held in Shreveport. Jebbia, 26, of Mansfield, Mass., beat out second runner-up Melanie Breedlove, Miss Missouri, and first runner-up Shauna Gene Gambill, Miss California. Jebbia, who had the highest score in the swimsuit competition, hopes to pursue a master's degree in health promotion and wellness once her reign is over.

Miss Hawaii, Brook Lee, was crowned the new Miss USA Wednesday night. Lee succeeds Ali Landry. The title comes with more than $170,000 in cash and prizes, as well as a chance to compete in the Miss Universe pageant in May. Brandi Sherwood, Miss Idaho, was the first runner-up, earning a $4,000 prize, and Miss Tennessee, Towanna Stone, was the second runner-up, winning $2,000.