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Carrie Prejean may be hot, but she just isn't worth the hassle.
E! News has confirmed the existence of Ms. Christian Values' X-rated sex tape—which reportedly prompted her abrupt settlement with Miss California Organization officials—but while the contents may be controversial, the peddlers behind the salacious video have had trouble finding any takers.
The tape actually began making the rounds several months ago and was offered as an exclusive to various websites for the bargain-basement price of $10,000.
But even blogger Nik Richie of the porn-purveying TheDirty.com didn't want anything to do with it.
"It was very graphic," Richie tells E! News, "and our lawyers wouldn't let us put it on the site."
No other site picked up the raunchfest, apparently shot by an ex-boyfriend and which Richie describes as far more explicit than the topless photos of Prejean that surfaced earlier.
Which explains why the tape's reemergence this week reportedly took Prejean by surprise.
The fallen beauty queen had sued Miss Cali officials in August for libel, slander and religious discrimination two months after they fired her over missed appearances. Prejean was MIA from the pageant-sanctioned events as she traveled the country as a newly minted conservative activist espousing her views against gay marriage.
Pageant officials hit back with a countersuit, seeking reimbursement for her $5,200 breast implants and claiming the bombshell failed to live up to her contractual obligations.
Just as we were preparing for a long, bitter court fight, there was a joint announcement out of the blue on Tuesday declaring a settlement. The following day, TMZ reported that the sex tape was the pageant's trump card, and Prejean wound up with no money in the settlement (though the pageant was said to have paid $100,000 in fees to her lawyers and publicist).
Citing the settlement's confidentiality agreement, pageant spokesman Roger Neal declined to comment on whether officials used the sex tape as leverage, except to say "the lawsuits have been dropped, we wish Carrie the best, and Carrie wishes us the best."
Prejean's attorney, Charles LiMandri, echoed those sentiments.
"Since it was a confidential settlement, he will not be able to discuss it," his assistant said.
While LiMandri would not comment on the tape—or whether Prejean would sue to block its release—he told RadarOnline that if the Miss Cali camp did use the sex tape to procure a settlement, he was ready to nullify the deal.
"In my 26 years of practice I have never dealt with a situation like this," the legal eagle said. "It seems as if someone has acted in an unethical and unlawful manner by even raising this issue. We are weighing our options and if this is a breach of contract we are considering suing for punitive damages."
Note to Team Prejean: just don't punish us by releasing the tape. We've had enough. |
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