Donald Trump's Miss Universe Organization Wins $5 Million In Defamation Suit

Donald Trump's Miss Universe Organization has been awarded $5 million after winning a lawsuit against former Miss Pennsylvania Sheena Monnin.

The beauty queen, who participated in the Miss USA pageant dropped out of the competition in June supposedly due to have discovered that fellow constant had seen a list of the top five winners before they were officially announced, the New York Post reports.

She went on to charge the pageant as being, “fraudulent, lacking in morals, inconsistent and in many ways trashy.”

Trump, who owns the Miss Universe Organization and all its pageants, including the Miss Universe, Miss USA, and Miss Teen USA beauty contests retaliated by filing suit against the Monnin in a New York court.

Late week, retired U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Theodore H. Katz determined that Monnin had defamed the Miss Universe Organization, and awarded it $5 million in damages, according to the Post.

In his ruling, Katz stated that, “the method in which the Miss USA Pageant is judged . . . precludes any reasonable possibility that the judging was rigged.”

Trump commented on the case Monday and stated that Monnin was upset because she was not selected as a Miss USA semifinalist.

“We cannot allow a disgruntled contestant to make false and reckless statements which are damaging to the many people who have devoted their hearts and souls to the Miss Universe, Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageant systems,” he said.

“She was angry that she lost, she went on the ‘Today’ show and she said really bad stuff. You can’t rig the celebrity judges. Ernst & Young tabulate the results, and they were unbelievably upset about her comments.

“Going to arbitration was the appropriate action to take under the circumstances, and while I feel very badly for Sheena, she did the wrong thing. She was really nasty, and we had no choice. It is an expensive lesson for her.”