LOS ANGELES -- The Miss USA pageant gears up to name a new queen this week in a live televised competition that organizers say will spotlight how reigning titleholder Tara Conner nearly lost her crown and ended up in rehab.
"Certainly, our reigning Miss USA is going to be on television and we're certainly not going to shy away from referring to what happened," executive producer Phil Gurin told The Associated Press on Monday. "Why shy away from what's part of our family? We embrace our family."
While not a centerpiece of the show, Conner will be "all over our telecast," Gurin said. The 56th annual pageant will be broadcast Friday on NBC from the Kodak Theatre with Nancy O'Dell of "Access Hollywood" as host.
Gurin said viewers will be able to see Conner and "make their own determinations by seeing how she presents herself, what she has to say about what happened this past year ... and that's something we've never been able to do before."
Conner endured intense scrutiny after reports she was frequenting New York bars. The Kentucky native held on to her crown after Donald Trump, who owns the Miss Universe and Miss USA contests in a partnership with NBC, decided to give her a second chance. She underwent a stint in rehab in Pennsylvania.
TKPN
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