Sheena Monnin called the competition 'fraudulent, lacking in
morals, inconsistent and in many ways trashy' after the 2012 pageant
Trump sued and was awarded $5 million by an arbitrator in
December
This week, a judge upheld the ruling and Monnin says this will
'financially devastate her'.
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The former Miss Pennsylvania who resigned after claiming to
the world that the Miss USA pageant is rigged must now pay Donald Trump $5
million for defaming the organization he co-owns.
Sheena Monnin was a contestant in the Miss USA 2012 pageant
before she appeared on national television claiming the beauty pageant
organization chooses its winners ahead of time.
Trump subsequently sued Monnin. An arbitrator then ruled in
favor of the Miss Universe Organization, awarding it $5 million in damages and
stated Monnin's statements 'showed a reckless disregard'. This week, a judge
affirmed that decision.
‘On July 2nd, the Southern District Court of New York ruled
on my appeal of the $5 million arbitration award,’ Monnin wrote in a July 4
post on a Facebook page billed as the Sheena Monnin Support Page. ‘I am
grateful to Judge Oetken for his review of the case before affirming the
award.’
Judge Oetken, in his 30-page ruling, wrote “the Court does
not take lightly that Monnin is compelled to pay what is a devastating monetary
award.’
However, Oetken wrote, ’sympathy, or apparent inequity, may
play no role in a court's legal analysis.’
Now Monnin must pony up the cash after her earlier struggles
just to come up with $50,000 in legal fees.
‘The legal fees for standing for truth amount to over
$50,000,’ writes Monnin on her Facebook page.
‘I still need to raise money for my legal defense fund. I
would greatly appreciate any and all donations.’
Her economic woes all stem from a few statements originally
made on Facebook and then the Today show.
Monnin accused Miss Universe Organization of rigging the
competition when she resigned from her Miss Pennsylvania position.
She claimed Karina Brez, who was representing Florida at the
contest in Las Vegas, Nevada on June 3, recited the top five women after seeing
a list of their names backstage.
In a Facebook post announcing her resignation, she wrote:
'Apparently the morning of June 3rd [Brez] 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.
'After the 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.
'She relayed whose names were on the list. Then we agreed to
wait and see if that was indeed the Top 5 called that night. After it was
indeed the Top 5 I knew the show must be rigged.'
Miss Universe Organization vehemently denied the claims and
said that Monnin had cited the new rules allowing transgender contestants as
her reason for resigning.
Donald Trump also denied the claims and proceeded with the
lawsuit against Monnin, who he believed was suffering 'loser's remorse'.
'I did see her for about a second. I never felt that she had
a chance,' he told the Today last year.
'I know what I heard, and I know what I in turn witnessed...
so I’m prepared to continue to march forward,' Monnin responded on Today. 'I
feel an injustice has been done, not only to the other people who were not in
the top five, but to the thousands of pageant girls across the country who
competed, believing this is an honest system.'
Wow! very touching story. Why cant those who called her to tell her all those stuff come together to raise the money? Its more like they abandoned her now. More so what does Trump need her $5M for. he's super rich already. shouldnt he just call off the case?
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