Honestly, I had no idea California was facing a crisis until I accidentally tuned into Ellen DeGeneres’ talk show yesterday. That’s when I saw an emotionally distraught Miss California USA recounting to Ellen a torrid tale of misconception. Turns out the woman sitting next to DeGeneres, Christina Silva, was technically not Miss California USA. Well, she was… for a few weeks.
Confused? So was I.
So, here’s the deal. Miss California USA organizers say votes hadn’t been correctly tallied during the pageant and Silva was crowned by mistake. The woman pageant officials say rightfully earned the title is Miss Barstow, Raquel Beezley, a 21-year-old waitress.
Only problem… the women were not notified of the voting tabulation error until well after the crown had found a home at Silva’s residence and Beezley went back to work at DiNapoli’s Firehouse Pizza restaurant in Barstow.
Enter Ellen DeGeneres.
Once Silva learned that she was being stripped of her title and crown she hired a lawyer, booked an appearance on “Ellen,” and won support from a Los Angeles Times columnist who helped blow the lid off the pageant debacle.
According to disgraced pageant directors, the voting error was all a “big mistake.” Judges reportedly approached officials shortly after the November 25th finals saying that their votes hadn’t been tallied correctly. After a recount was done it was revealed that the points assigned to the finalists had been reversed.
As for the Beezley, the “new” Miss California USA 2008, says her win is “bittersweet.” But, the real story has been Silva’s reaction.
Pageant officials allowed her to keep – the sash, the crown, the necklace – and gave her $1,500 entry fee back. But on Ellen’s talk show Silva said she felt unfairly pressured to relinquish her title, and further revealed that there was “something is fishy about the accountant error” reason supplied by organizers.
“Everything’s inaccurate and it’s not consistent,” Silva told DeGeneres on Thursday’s show. “All I could do was shake and cry, just cry in my mom’s arms.”
DeGeneres crumbled when she heard Silva’s sob story and tried to make it up to her by crowning the beauty queen “Miss Ellen.” Silva’s prize for winning the new title: a yearlong modeling contract and year’s worth of styling by hairdresser to the stars Ken Paves.
Ellen to the rescue.
What do you make of the “mistake?”
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