Amanda Longacre has been stripped of her Miss Delaware title. No, not for nude photos or doing drugs like some previous pageant winners. Longacre was decrowned being too old.
Miss Delaware pageant officials say Longacre's age, 24, violated an age clause in the pageant system, making her just barely ineligible to compete for the Miss America title. Longacre says she was up front with state's pageant officials about her age and they gave her the OK to compete in the Miss Delaware pageant. (ViaFox News)
"They had my birth certificate, my social security card, my drivers license. My birth date on numerous amounts of documents." (Via The News Journal)
The former titleholder broke down when being interviewed on "The Today Show" Friday.
"You know you work so hard to get to this position. I haven't been doing pageants for very long." (Via NBC)
Miss America rules state contestants must be between the ages of 17 and 24.
But WCAU reports because Longacre turns 25 in in October, she isn't eligible to compete.
According to ABC, Longacre is being allowed to keep the $9,000 scholarship she was awarded when she won. She has said she will put the money towards her master's degree in social work.
Because of Longacre's ineligibility, the first runner up, Brittany Lewis, received the title — as shown on the organization's Facebook page. Lewis will go on to represent Delaware in the Miss America pageant.
Longacre's media appearances have gained her a lot of public support. Some fans even started this petition to get her back the crown. (Via ipetitions)
The Miss America Organization has not yet responded to the numerous media requests for a comment.
