By Whitney English
E! News
F
allen
pageant queen Carrie Prejean isn't finished
playing the blame game. The former Miss California's lawyer, Charles
LiMandri, is going on the offensive against state pageant organization
and director
Keith Lewis, claiming that Lewis plotted Prejean's downfall
by knowingly sending her lists of events and opportunities that were
beyond the typical expected duties.
"There was really a lack for trust and a lack of respect," LiMandri
says. "He was trying to set her up. Keith Lewis and Shanna Moakler
wanted her out, pure and simple. They finally found a way to get
their way."
Lewis, who tells E! News he has already "moved on" from
the scandal, has said that Prejean skipped out on upward of 30 appearances
and that her inability to live up to the terms of her contract was
the reason she was fired.
As for that Playboy spread and Prejean's possibilities for legal
and tell-all vindication?
"She had just gotten a request to do a Playboy shoot with partial
nudity—this was several days after [Donald] Trump reinstates
her," LiMandri says. "[Lewis] knew she wouldn't do that
stuff, and he was trying to set her up, saying, 'You can pick your
photographer. You can pick the photos.' And then he'd be able to
fire her for sure."
Additionally, LiMandri claims Lewis sent Prejean a list of Hollywood
events recommending that she try to attend some, though her presence
was never requested by the event organizers.
"Some of the things were such short notice, like that day or
the next day, that they couldn't expect her to do it anyhow," he
argues. "When I read through the list with her, she said there
was a lot of stuff she would like to go to, but it's not 'Miss California'
stuff."
During her various television interviews
last week, Prejean declared she wasn't just "Miss Hollywood." According
to her representation, she wanted to do more outreach events throughout
the state.
"What we expected her to be doing…it's community service
events, it's charitable organizations, rotary conventions, avocado
festivals, fairs," LiMandri says. "When she got the Hollywood
list she said 'OK, but what about from Sacramento to San Diego?' "
One specific event Carrie Prejean rejected was
in blatant opposition to her politics: a movie premiere about same-sex
marriage.
"[Lewis] wanted her to go to the debut of a docudrama supporting
same-sex marriage," the attorney claims. "The people [who]
produced it were going to be there explaining their journey as gay
men toward same-sex marriage. She said, 'I'm just not comfortable
doing that.' I wrote back to [Lewis'] attorney saying, 'She won't
do the pro-traditional marriage stuff as Miss California. But don't
ask her to do the pro-same-sex marriage stuff either.'"
LiMandri also insists that if Lewis and the Miss California organization
do not stop speaking ill of Prejean, he will have no choice but to
file a lawsuit against them.
"We think she's got a great case," LiMandri tells E! News. "She
just has to weigh her other options and see if that's what she wants
to be doing for the next couple years—being involved in litigation—as
opposed to taking advantage of these other offers or opportunities
that are presenting themselves to her.
"At the same time, she doesn't feel
that she can just stand by and let herself be continually defamed
by Keith Lewis, saying
things that are not true." LiMandri suggests a tell-all book
about her time as Miss California may be one of those current opportunities.
"It's basically her opportunity to tell her
side about what happened," says LiMandri. "She really never
had a chance to address those issues. People really don't know how
badly she's
been treated." Lewis, meanwhile, appears unfazed by the possibility
of a legal battle.
"I'm so happy that we've moved on," he told E! News Tuesday. "We've
closed a chapter, and for me, I think there's no reason to look back."
Having Tami Farrell as Miss California has "been a dream," Lewis
said.
"You know, she gets it. Because she
was a national title holder, she was Miss Teen USA, she's been
in the limelight before. It was
a challenge the last couple of months, and it's just so nice to be
back to the business of beauty."
As for Prejean's Playboy allegation and other
claims, Lewis said he didn't want to "get bogged down in the
minutiae or the negativity.
"And I think that what we've done and how we've represented
ourselves speaks for itself," he continued. "Mr. Trump
wouldn't exactly be making a decision to fire someone if there wasn't
just cause, especially after the controversies. So, I feel real confident
that we made the right choice, and I think you can see that with
Tami." |