Carrie Prejean Loses Miss California Crown

Carrie Prejean, runner-up at the Miss America pageant has lost her title as Miss California.

According to TMZ, pageant officials have had it with the 22-year-old beauty queen, breaching her contract and avoiding appearances she was to make for pageant organizations.

Prejean has become widely known for her controversial views on gay marriage after responding to a pageant question from gossip columnist Perez Hilton. She has also managed to stir up some divisive attention when topless photos of the Miss America runner-up began circulating on the Internet.

State Pageant Executive Director Keith Lewis said these were not related to the firing of Prejean, and that the dismissal was "based solely on contract violations."

Donald Trump, who owns the Miss America pageant, made attempts to repair the relationship between Prejean and pageant officials, and said that Prejean would continue to wear her Miss California crown. Ultimately, Trump and Lewis had had enough of Prejean's lack of cooperation with pageant officials and her failing to partake in her responsibilities.

Trump made the official announcement on Wednesday. Runner-up Miss Malibu Tami Farrell will be taking the place and name of Miss California.