Alabama native, ex-Miss America called 'gross' and 'a blimp;' CEO out; Alabama pageant responds

Updated 11:12 AM; Posted 9:47 AM

Mallory Hytes Hagan, an Alabama woman competing as Miss New York, won the Miss America Pageant in 2013. (File)

By Leada Gore lgore@al.com

The top leadership of the Miss America Organization is out after a series of emails showed them making rude and obscene comments about former winners, including one pageant winner from Alabama.

Miss America Organization CEO Sam Haskell, President Josh Randle and Chairwoman Lynn Weidner resigned after the series of internal emails were published by Huffington Post in which pageant winners' sex lives, weight and appearance were discussed. Other emails show officials referring to past winners as a vulgar term for female genitalia.

Among those targeted by Haskell was Mallory Hagan, who won the Miss America title as Miss New York in 2013. Hagan grew up in Opelika, was a 2007 graduate of Opelika High School and attended Auburn University. Hagan had competed in the Alabama pageant circuit before moving to New York, winning talent awards and becoming a runner-up with the Miss Alabama's Outstanding Teen & Miss Alabama Scholarship Competitions.

In his emails, Haskell described Hagan as "huge," "a piece of trash," and "gross."

In an exchange with telecast lead writer Lewis Friedman, Haskell wrote, "Not a single day passes that I am not told some horrible story about Mallory." Friedman replied, "Mallory's preparing for her new career... as a blimp in the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade...she continues her descent to an unhappy pathetic footnote."

The emails also speculated about how many men she'd slept with and made numerous comments about her weight.

"OMG she is huge...and gross," Haskell said in one exchange.

Speaking on The Today Show, Hagan said she felt "validated" by the emails.

"When I first read the emails in the article, I wasn't shocked but I was validated," she said. "For the longest time, I'd try to explain to people around me this is happening, or these things are being said. And (now I) have the ability to look on paper and say, 'See, I told you.'"

Hagan moved back to Alabama last year. She is now an evening anchor with NBC-affiliate WLTZ in Columbus, Georgia.

Miss Alabama organization responds

The Miss Alabama Pageant's Board of Directors issued a statement Sunday:

"For almost 100 years, the Miss Alabama Pageant has furthered the dreams and goals of countless young women. The Miss Alabama Board of Directors, along with the hundreds of volunteers that selflessly serve, take immense pride in this privilege and hold these young women in the highest regard.

We are proud of all our state and local titleholders and express to them our support and appreciation. Our commitment is to maintain a positive, respectful community in which young women can thrive and achieve amazing things.

We are thankful to be part of an American institution that has provided innumerable scholarships and opportunities to young women across this country and look forward to continuing this grand tradition for many years to come."

http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2017/12/alabama_native_ex-miss_america.html