Did Sex Tape Lead to Prejean Settlement?

The purported existence of a graphic sex tape in which former Miss California Carrie Prejean allegedly appears reportedly was the reason why Prejean settled with former employer Miss USA for, media sources claim, a sum total of zero.

A Nov. 4 article at TMZ claimed that Prejean had initially sought one million dollars in her suit against Miss California USA, which fired the former "Miss California" on the grounds that Prejean was not fulfilling the duties that accompanied her title. Prejean claimed that the pageant's organizers had subjected her to religious discrimination.

Prejean, "Miss California" in the Miss USA beauty pageant that was aired last April 19, was asked by openly gay celebrity blogger and pageant judge Perez Hilton about her opinion on marriage equality.

Saying she was from a religious background, Prejean praised the freedom that some states in America offer for gay and lesbian families to wed, but said that her own opinion was that marriage ought to be reserved for heterosexual couples.

Hilton later posted a video blog in which he insulted Prejean for her comments, calling her a "dumb bitch."

That blog garnered Prejean support from across the political spectrum, with Hilton's remarks offending people of all political and sexual persuasions. However, the religious right used the comments to bolster claims that Christians are a "persecuted" minority, and to reiterate assertions that all "liberals" and GLBT people seek to muzzle free expression and limit freedom of religion.

The National Organization for Marriage, which had supported California's ballot initiative to rescind marriage equality for gay and lesbian families, was quick to feature Prejean in a new ad decrying family equality, but as Prejean--who reportedly began to neglect her job duties as "Miss California"--continued to make media appearances to talk about her status as a victim of "anti-Christian" sentiment and to speak against marriage equality, the story began to take on other dimensions.

A reported breast enhancement procedure that Miss California USA, Prejean's employer, paid for hit the headlines, as did news of a topless photo Prejean said she had posed for at age 17.

The NOM's May 1 press release sought to clarify that Prejean was not an employee or spokesperson for the group.

The group's president, Maggie Gallgher, stated, "Carrie appeared with NOM as a private citizen; she does not work for the National Organization for Marriage. She is a spokesperson for her own views, as anyone watching her can tell."

Claims of a Prejean sex tape were made the following month, with anti-gay and right-wing pundits expressing skepticism as to the tape's actual existence.

The TMZ article said that not only was the tape real, TMZ was in possession of a copy, but had decided against publicizing it. However, the article continued, a lawyer for Miss USA screened the tape for Prejean, at which point Prejean settled--for nothing.

A CNN story posted on Nov. 4 reported on the role that the purported sex tape reportedly played in the settlement, and said that Prejean's firing stemmed from the revelation that Prejean had appeared in semi-nude photographs, which was a violated of her contract. Several photos, purportedly of Prejean, appear at TMZ, some of them partially blocked for the sake of decency.

The CNN article quoted Prejean's attorney, Charles LiMandri, as stating, "It's a confidential settlement, and he can't discuss it."

Prejean has written a book that is expect in stores later this month.