Christina Silva, aka Miss Trial: Silver not OK for
Silva? Christina Silva was crowned Miss California in 2007, but three days
later, pageant officials informed her that they had miscounted ballots. The
actual winner, they said, was Raquel Beezley, and Silva came in second. The
dethroned Silva filed suit in Los Angeles Superior Court in April 2008, asking
for $500,000 in damages for public humiliation, mental anguish and distress,
lost prizes, lost opportunities and lost monies. She alleges racial bias: The lawsuit claims pageant executive director Keith Lewis
was "uncomfortable with the fact that Miss Silva spoke Spanish with certain
vendors; he felt that it may detract from the caliber of the pageant and some of
the 'all American girls' may not opt to compete in the following year," and that
the Miss Universe Organization engaged in negligence, breach of contract, fraud,
and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Who knew litigation counted as
a "talent"?
(AP) |
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