tmz miss california

tmz miss california
(CBS) Miss California, Carrie Prejean, has been under fire ever since she competed in the Miss USA pageant last month.

First, anti-gay marriage comments during the competition drew and, in the eyes of some observers, may have been what cost her that title. She wound up as runner-up to Miss North Carolina.

Since then, it was disclosed Prejean, 21, had had breast implants, paid for at least in part by the Miss California pageant itself in the hope, pageant officials explains, of helping Prejean as she competed in Miss USA.

There were also racy photos of Prejean that showed up in the gossip blog theDirty.com.

On Monday, Miss California officials said she could keep the title, pending final word expected Tuesday morning from Donald Trump, owner of the Miss USA pageant.

Fans are wondering whether Trump will utter the phrase attached to him forever by the show, "The Apprentice": "You're fired!"

And just as this was all unfolding, the celebrity Web site TMZ.com posted still more semi-nude photos of Prejean.

Under the headline, "Oops, She Did It Again!," TMZ has photos of Prejean topless.

"These pics," TMZ says, "were taken just last year -- meaning Carrie was the ripe ol' LEGAL age of 20."

Prejean had said the previously disclosed photos were taken when she was just 17, and were "surreptitiously to a tabloid Web site that openly mocks me for my Christian faith."

"This time," TMZ continues, "Carrie dropped her top for a professional photo shoot -- another partially nude gig that she forgot to tell the Miss California officials about."

In a radio interview, reports CBS News correspondent Bianca Solorzano, Prejean says that, when the gay marriage question put to her during the Miss USA competition, " I felt Satan was trying to tempt me with this question. But God was in my head and my heart saying, "Carrie, do not compromise this."

Miss California officials were visibly angry at their Monday news conference.

Co-executive director Keith Lewis said, "Up until now, we have just been riding along pretty much a passenger on this runaway train. As of today, that ends."

He also scolded those around Prejean, saying, "Shame, shame for taking this young woman and exploiting her to further your own agenda."

Prejean has become something of a "poster girl for conservative causes," Solorzano observes.

But her mother says Prejean is the one being exploited, telling the Web site MomLogic.com Carrie is "being persecuted for speaking her opinion."

In the meantime, Solorzano points out, local officials in California are already embracing the embattled Prejean's runner-up, giving her some of the title-holder's official duties.