“There she is…” If there’s anything that says we’re progressing as a society, it’s a dog and pony show starring young females vying for a crown that means nothing. Pageant supporters, feel free to leave your comments below, and educate us on all the wonders, and various scholarships offered by the pageant world. In the meantime, we’ll focus on some of the strangest, “say, what?” scandals of the modern, pageant era, all examples taken from the Miss America and Miss USA family of pageants.
8. Leona Gage
To get this list started right, let’s jump back in time. All the way back to 1957, when a sweet and innocent from Texas, Leona Gage, entered the Miss Maryland pageant as a Maryland resident, and won. Representing Maryland in the Miss America Pageant, everyone fell in love with the fresh-faced Leona, and she was crowned Miss America to culminate the festivity. A day later, it was revealed that Leona was a little too fresh faced to serve as Miss America. At 18, she was already a mother of two children, and had been married twice. Three violations of the pageant rules. The kicker? Her mother-in-law sold her out, when reporters came asking. Leona was stripped of her crown. Consequently, she was booted from Miss Universe, which she had qualified for the Top 15. She drew the ire of many fans, but still enjoyed success as a celebrity.
Source: Ace Showbiz