PageantCast News Desk: Elyse Umemoto Photos Spark Latest Beauty Queen Scandal

Elyse Umemoto Photos Spark Latest Beauty Queen Scandal

Posted on July 9th, 2008 8:38 AM by mischalova
Filed under: Elyse Umemoto

I'm thrilled. I get my life back. No more shopping, no more stressing about interviews.

-- Elyse Umemoto, following her third place finish at the 2008 Miss America Pageant.

Somewhere between this quote - which was given around January - and this week, Umemoto must have decided that she actually doesn't want the life of a random beauty queen back.

Instead, she wants to follow in the scandalous footsteps of Amanda Polumbo, Tara Conner, Katie Rees and Valerie Begue - all pageant contestants that have become better known for snorting cocaine, feeling up female friends and posing like Jesus.

Why else would a series of photos depicting Elyse Umemoto behaving badly all of a sudden appear on the Internet? Here's an example:

One of several Elyse Umemoto pictures that Miss Washington officials are less than thrilled about.

Miss Washington Executive Field Director Mike Miller told celebrity gossip site TMZ the organization is "embarrassed."

Follow this article's jump now to see what he said in a statement, along with many other Elyse Umemoto pictures...

The pageant representative's statement reads:

Elyse Umemoto is an outstanding young woman and has been a brilliant representative for the Miss Washington Scholarship Organization. We continue to be very proud of her... It is unfortunate that her behavior in unguarded moments has attracted attention.

We do not condone the behaviors depicted in these photos. However, there will be no discipline for Elyse based on the behavior evidenced in the photos.

Click on the following thumbnails now to see up close versions of the photos in question...