Both parties have withdrawn their lawsuits against each other, and reached a confidential settlement that absolves the blond beauty of any financial obligations, according to a New York Daily News report.
In August, Prejean filed a lawsuit against the beauty pageant organizers who stripped the 22-year-old blond of her title earlier this year. The suit accused Lewis and K2 of libel and religious discrimination for Prejean’s views on same-sex marriage.
Last month, K2 filed a counter suit against Prejean accusing her of breaking her Miss USA contract, lying about semi-nude photos, and failing to repay the $5,200 she borrowed for a breast augmentation surgery.
Lawsuits and accusations dropped
The Daily report, citing Miss California USA pageant officials, says both Prejean and the Miss California pageant have dropped their dueling lawsuits, leaving the dethroned beauty queen free to keep the money she borrowed for getting a boob job.
In a joint statement Tuesday, the two parties confirmed that they have reached a confidential settlement on dueling lawsuits. Terms of the settlement have not been disclosed.
Keith Lewis, executive director of the Miss California USA and Miss California Teen USA organizations, has released this statement to the NY Daily News: “Carrie Prejean, Keith Lewis, and K2 productions have dropped their claim against each other and wish each other the best in their future endeavors.”
“We’re so glad to be back in the business of beauty and out of the litigious system that is Carrie Prejean,” Lewis told the Daily News. “It’s wonderful to put this behind us.”
Dethronement of Prejean in April
Prejean had stirred up a national controversy while answering question about same-sex marriage unfavorably during the Miss USA pageant in April. After her controversial remarks about the gay marriage, she lost the Miss USA crown to Miss North Carolina, Kristen Dalton.
“I think in my country, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman,” Prejean said during the Miss USA competition last April.
The statuesque San Diego blond who later said she is not regretful about her gay marriage opinion eventually was stripped of her crown on June 10 by the organizers of the Miss California USA pageant and Miss USA pageant, who claimed she had violated her contract by not making appearances on their behalf.
In response to those claims, Prejean said the Miss California organizers “fabricated a fraudulent list” of contract violations as grounds for her dismissal.
Two Miss Californias to be crowned this year
On Tuesday, Lewis said the legal fiasco has led K2- the franchise that organizes the Miss California and Miss California USA paegents- to make changes, including a decision to crown two Miss Californias during a televised pageant later this month.
“We are moving forward from the past and looking towards the crowning of two winners and the new look of the upcoming Miss California USA pageant, telecast live on November 22nd,” he said. “After the last year, I dare say it has a lot to do with the past.”
The judges this year will include actor A.J. Buckley ("CSI," "Bones," "X-Men"), film-TV-stage actor Hill Harper ("CSI," "The Handler"), plastic surgeon Dr. Frank Ryan, fashion designer Tony Bowls and Kelly Monaco, as well as Claudia Jordan and Shandi Finnessey, both from "Celebrity Apprentice".
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