Pageant director denies firing Carrie Prejean over political views

June 14, 11:24 PMLA Headlines ExaminerTad Cronn

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Pageant director Keith Lewis vents about Carrie Prejean at a press conference the day before Donald Trump came out in defense of the now former Miss California. (AP)

Miss California USA pageant director Keith Lewis has denied that Carrie Prejean was fired over her political views or that her firing was the direct result of his actions.

On Fox News' "Geraldo at Large," Lewis insisted the events in the month since pageant owner Donald Trump spoke out against Lewis, co-director Shanna Moakler and others who were trying to oust Miss California were all Prejean's fault.

"She was fired after everyone exhausted their patience and exhausted their abilities to keep giving her forgiveness," Lewis said.

He said Trump looked at the facts and came to the conclusion that the situation was not working.

Lewis said he regretted firing her only because he felt it played into the hands of Prejean and Christians who have supported her.

"The hardest thing about firing her was that I believe it was exactly what they wanted. This script wouldn't even sell in Hollywood, it's so unbelievable. And since I have nothing to gain from firing her, and she has everything to gain to say it's her beliefs that got her fired, that's why we're hearing this story," Lewis said.

Prejean first became embroiled in controversy after Miss USA judge Perez Hilton, who is gay, asked her whether she thought states should allow gay marriage. After she replied that she believed in traditional marriage, the Christian beauty queen was excoriated by a livid Hilton, Moakler and others in the press and online.

The event kicked off a weekslong media free-for-all in which gay activists and their supporters campaigned to destroy Prejean's career.

Despite pageant officials' statements in the press on the day of Prejean's firing that she had missed dozens of appearances, Lewis said she didn't miss any, but she didn't agree to any, either.

Prejean, who also appeared on "Geraldo at Large," reiterated her statements that Lewis had tried to schedule her for activities he knew she would not agree to, such as a photo shoot for Playboy.

Prejean told Sean Hannity earlier last week that Lewis and other pageant officials tried to trick her into violating her contract.

On "Geraldo," she stood by her statements that she was stripped of her title by a partisan, pro-gay pageant organization that set her up to promote its political agenda.

"They are not going to tell the truth on a lot of things. I've heard I've missed 52 missed appearances. Since the press conference was only a month ago, that would be two a day," Prejean said.

Prejean also said Lewis wouldn't let her do appearances she wanted, such as the Special Olympics, and she was forced to call Trump daily.

"Donald Trump was tired of being in the middle," Prejean said.

Since her firing, Prejean has cancelled a planned Special Olympics appearance because Lewis has scheduled her replacement to be there.