As we’ve learned this week, pageants are full of drama — but for some, the fairytale doesn’t begin until the crown has been handed over.
Tara Conner hit headlines for all the wrong reasons in 2006 when she almost lost her coveted “Miss USA” title after it was revealed she was abusing alcohol, drugs and engaging in other not-so-pageant-perfect acts such as reportedly kissing Miss Teen USA Katie Blair. Pageant-owner Donald Trump forced her to enroll in the Caron Foundation as a condition of keeping the crown, but the Kentucky-raised blonde is not ashamed of being the only titleholder ever to be publicly propelled into rehab.
“It was such a struggle in the beginning, I kept asking myself why I had to go thru this with the world watching and why was I being forced into rehab,” Conner told Tarts in an exclusive interview. “But I needed to hit rock-bottom to do something right. I have no regrets, I wouldn’t change a thing.”
While the now 23-year-old is probably sick of still being associated with negative connotations such as “Mess USA” and “Troublesome Tara,” she chose to use her experience to help others in MTV’s “Girls of Hedsor Hall” which was produced by her former boss’s company Trump Productions LLC. The reality show took twelve total train-wrecks and attempted to transform them into lovely ladies inside England’s dungeon of discipline, Hedsor House.
“Being on the show brought back a lot of my old demons, but I’m proud to say I’ve been sober two years now and I’ve really been on my game,” Conner added. “But sometimes with the show and seeing the girls get eliminated when they reach the point of really wanting to try is heart-breaking because we actually care and we are very emotionally involved.”
Speaking of emotional involvement, the petite beauty queen is now giving her “heart and soul” to song-writing and certainly has no heartache over having turned down a reported one million dollar offer from “Playboy” following her rehab reformation.
“I have no regrets at all. Many people see “Playboy” as beautiful art but my art is my music,” she added. “I’ve been in the studio at home in L.A writing and I have an amazing vocal coach. I hope to bring out a country album — that is where I am putting all my energy, music is so powerful.”
(source)
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