The Latest Pageant Queen Embroiled in Scandal?
Our very own Miss Washington!
Elyse Umemoto, who was the second runner up in Miss America last year, and is in the last week of her reign as Miss Washington, is at the center of a TMZ photo scandal. Yesterday the omnipresent trash and gossip site posted 14 photos of Umemoto under the headline "Miss Washington--One Bad Apple!"
The photos show Umemoto flipping off the camera in a pageant crown, downing shots, and making lewd hand and tongue gestures (you know the one, folks). Our personal favorite is of the beauty queen playing beer pong in her crown, in what looks to be some shady UW fraternity or seedy North Seattle basement. Skillful beer pong playing, in a tiara and probably heels no less, would be a wonderful talent to bring to a pageant competition. We really have no idea why Umemoto went with singing rather than highlighting that skillset.
Umemoto held a press conference yesterday afternoon regarding the photos, saying that they had been stolen from her by someone she trusted and that police were investigating the theft. Miss Washington will not lose her crown, though the organization who runs the pageant says they are embarrassed by the photos. Umemoto claims the photos were taken between 18 months and two years before she was crowned Miss Washington, and that they "do not represent my true essence in any way."
Oh, Elyse, why did you have to say that? We would like you so much more if playing beer pong in your tiara and evening dress really was your true essence.
Miss Washington in the swimsuit preliminary, photo courtesy of the AP
