11/3/2009

in

Prejean and Miss California pageant officials ended their legal disagreements to the satisfaction of both parties.

Blakely Slater

Carrie Prejean and Miss California USA pageant organizers have come to an agreement in their legal battle.  
  
The two opposing parties released a joint statement on Tuesday announcing that they had come to a confidential settlement, reports the [Associated Press](http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h2k_jaowU7BPFzCx99CyZNL4HIVAD9BOATU80).  
  
The statement went on to say that both sides "wish each other the best in their future endeavors."  
  
Donald Trump, the Miss USA pageant owner, fired Prejean in June because of contract violations and failure to attend mandatory events. Prejean did not believe these to be the true reasons for her dismissal and fired back with a lawsuit in August.  
  
The former pageant queen sued officials for libel, slander, and religious discrimination, claiming that their choice was based upon her controversial same-sex marriage response to a question during the Miss USA competition and her continued opposition to the extension of marriage rights to homosexual couples.  
  
Pageant organizers later filed a countersuit, arguing that Prejean still owed $5,200 they had lent her for breast-implant surgery, reports [CNN](http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/11/03/miss.california.suit/).  
  
Now that all issues have been settled, pageant Executive Director Keith Lewis is only concerned with the future.  
  
"We are moving forward from the past," Lewis said in a written statement, "And looking towards the crowning of two winners and the new look of the upcoming California USA pageant."  
  
A new Miss California USA will be crowned on Nov. 22.