AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, Denise Truscello/Getty Images

Carrie Prejean may have been out of sight at Sunday's Miss California USA pageant—but she definitely was not out of mind.

The annual pageant, held at Agua Caliente Resort and Casino in Rancho Mirage, was full of overt digs at the controversial beauty queen. Donald Trump, the owner of Miss Universe, even got in on the action, appearing via video feed to introduce the interview portion of the show.

"Get ready for some really tough questions…and as time has proven, they get us in a lot of trouble," he promised.

Host Chris Jacobs also contributed a few cracks about Prejean, saying that one lucky girl would win the chance to "become TMZ's new favorite topic" and "give Larry King something inappropriate to talk about." He also referenced her solo sex-tape scandal, joking that a producer wanted to call Miss Photogenic "the Carrie Prejean award."

Backstage, pageant co-director Shanna Moakler weighed in on the controversies that have colored the organization's year. (Moakler, who left her post at Miss California USA during Prejean's reign, returned after Trump ousted the scandal-ridden titleholder.)

Keep Reading

Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

Apparently, it runs in the family.

No matter how many topless photos, inappropriate TV interviews, solo sex tapes or unrelenting victim complexes Carrie Prejean takes on, she'll always be daddy's little girl. And daddy's little girl can do no wrong.

Miss California pageant officials, on the other hand...

"The personal information they are bringing out against Carrie is irrelevant to anything," Will Prejean tells E! News exclusively from his home in San Diego.

Make that, irrelevant to anything, and distracting as anything.

"Look at Larry King, he asked Carrie harder questions than he asked [Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad.

"Carrie is supposed to be doing all of these TV appearances to promote her book and everyone can only focus on the tapes," he continued. "I'm not someone who looks backwards. I think we need to look to the future. Why isn't anyone talking about the charity work and all of the charitable organizations that Carrie's involved in?"

Probably because people like Carrie and (like father, like daughter) Will keep making lightning-rod statements. Just like this:

Keep Reading

NBC

Television's greatest villains never really go away, do they?

Omarosa Maingault-Stallworth is getting her own reality show…and with Donald Trump, no less.

Omarosa's Ultimate Merger won't be yet another stab at working for the big cheese—this time it's all about the current seminary student finding a mate. She'll be choosing from a dozen potential suitors, according to Variety.

"Omarosa was a great personality on The Apprentice that was watched by over 40 million people as it became the No. 1 show on TV," says Trump, who's producing the series for the TV One network. "Omarosa is smart, witty and difficult, but all of those qualities will make for some very interesting entertainment."

In case you've forgotten, this isn't Omarosa's first, second or even third time at the reality television dog and pony show. In addition to The Apprentice and Celebrity Apprentice, she tangled with Janice Dickinson on The Surreal Life, got competitive on the Battle of the Network Reality Stars and made brief appearances on Fear Factor, Celebrity Poker Showdown and I Love New York.

________

Omarosa is pretty tough, but do you think her new show will qualify for our Dangerous Reality-TV Gallery?

Niche Media/Getty Images

We've gotta hand it to them—understated is just not a Trump thing.

Ivanka Trump wrapped her three-month engagement on Sunday, tying the knot with publisher fiancé Jared Kushner before 500 friends and famiy members in a private ceremony, according to People.

The intimate lavish affair took place at one of The Donald's countless stomping grounds, Trump National Golf Club in New Jersey, with Ivanka walking down the aisle in a Grace Kelly-inspired Vera Wang gown.  

On hand to entertain at the reception was Donald Trump bestie Regis Philbin, who serenaded the newlyweds.

In the hours leading up to her big day, the bride kept fans in the mix via Twitter.

"At a very casual 'rehearsal' dinner with friends...just 5 of my lady friends and me having a casual dinner and getting excited," Trump tweeted Saturday night. "Perfect!"

And pre-wedding jitters? Who needs 'em! Ivanka could hardly contain her excitement. "Just finished a gorgeous hike. The leaves are spectacular and the sun is shining," she wrote. "Everything is simply perfect! I'm getting married today!"

After two years of on-again, off-again dating, Kushner popped the question in July. The 27-year-old heiress immediately tweeted the good news, writing: "I got engaged last night...truly the happiest day of my life!!!"

After her dream-wedding-made-reality, we're betting today takes the cake.

—Additional reporting by Claudia Rosenbaum

Keep Reading

Niche Media/Getty Images

For those of you wondering what took so long for Donald Trump lite Jared Kushner to pop the question to Ivanka Trump—and come on, there's gotta be one or two of you out there, right? Ivana?—we've finally found our answer.

Turns out, secularity is not a kosher characteristic for a wannabe bride.

The Trumpette herself revealed to New York Magazine that the reason why she dated the New York Observer-owning Kushner for two years without any diamonds being exchanged or hands being taken was more the result of Moses' law than Murphy's.

The newly-betrothed 28-year-old only completed her long-pending conversion to Judaism last week and the self-described homebody couple could not officially be engaged until her religious switch was dunzo.

Far be it from us to assume his Orthodox Jewish family's reported reticence to accept the pre-converted Trump would have anything to do with their reservations at making the social rounds, but no matter: While their courtship didn't include any couch-bound Apprentice marathons (as far as we know), it was about as far removed from glitz and glam as any endeavor bearing the Trump name could ever hope to be…

Keep Reading

Niche Media/Getty Images

It's not just a banner day for television's talented elite—even those who earned their small screen time through more nepotistic means have boarded the good news bandwagon.

Like daddy's girl extraordinaire Ivanka Trump, who was all a-Twitter this morning over news of her engagement to on-off publishing beau of two years, Jared Kushner.

"I got engaged last night…truly the happiest day of my life!!!" she wrote.

Ah, to be rich and famous.

Of course, such a momentous occasion would never go by without comment from the Donald himself. Brace yourselves for some over-the-top effusion…

"I'm very happy about it," Trump told Us Weekly. "They make a magnificent couple."

What the? Someone oughta let him know it's not the father of the bride that's supposed to get cold feet.

No date—or religious affiliation—has yet been set for the wedding, but rest assured, it will be uuuge.

________

It's that sort of lack of paternal enthusiasm that's keeping Donald Trump out of our Hollywood's Hottest Dads gallery. That, and genetics.

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

•  This rumor's dirty, even for Gossip Girl. Supposedly Blair Waldorf herself, Leighton Meester, has a sex tape being shopped around. Word is it's from a few years ago (so probably doesn't involve BF Sebastian Stan) and involves some sort of foot fetish stuff. Sounds like this will require some major Chuck Bass scheming to squash.

•  Is Jon Gosselin looking to take a bite out of the Big Apple?

•  Adam Lambert isn't the only recent American Idol alum still talking.

•  George Michael celebrates getting his drivers' license back the way everyone who loses it for driving under the influence should: by buying a $200,000 Ferrari.

•  Bristol Palin's baby daddy, Levi Johnston, wants to be famous. Sound off.

•  Aaron Eckhart clearly has a sole.

•  Dear Rosie O'Donnell: You just had to bring up Donald Trump again, didn't you? Love, Rise 'n' Shine

If you hadn't noticed, Father's Day is Sunday. The dreamy guys of the Hollywood's Hottest Dads gallery will be celebrating.

Follow us on Twitter @eonline!

Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

Don't shoot the messenger—or, since there's apparently some confusion on the matter, the dog.

A month after Shanna Moakler resigned in protest from her post as the Miss California pageant codirector, the former beauty queen tells E! News she's ready and willing to once again mentor the tiara-wearing masses and resume her pageant duties, should her services be so requested.

"If Donald Trump gives his blessing, I'll be back in a heartbeat," Moakler says.

Moakler, who groused about Carrie Prejan's failure to live up to her contract, was seemingly vindicated last week, when Trump reversed his earlier decision and agreed with state pageant director Keith Lewis to fire Prejean.

Neither Trump nor Lewis immediately returned calls seeking comment on Moakler's desire to return.

Meanwhile, Moakler says she is ready to recommit to the Miss Universe universe now that she believes its credibility has been restored, and she also praises Prejean's replacement, new Miss California Tami Farrell.

Says Moakler: "She actually shows up for work."

Carrie Prejean may have appeared sweet with Sean Hannity last night, but this morning on the Today show, she came out swingin'.

The dethroned Miss California maintained her stance that she was ousted for her political beliefs regarding gay marriage—not for violating her contract, as the Miss California USA Organization claims—but this time she got heated.

Matt Lauer pointed out that, if that were true, why would Donald Trump have stood by her answers at the Miss USA pageant during a press conference one month ago, but changed his tune this week?

Keep Reading

AP Photo/Eric Jamison

The now-former Miss California is talking.

Carrie Prejean is finally speaking out, a day after Donald Trump and the pageant decided to give her the boot.

"I've done my best under the difficult circumstances to handle the vicious attacks with integrity and show respect to others, even those who don't agree with me," she said in a written statement just after congratulating her successor, Tami Farrell, thanking Trump and (finally) saying a nice word or two about the Miss California pageant.

"I worked in good faith to meet my responsibilities as Miss California USA," she continues, before vaguely addressing some of the harsh accusations coming from her employers and the rest of the Internet…

Keep Reading

Jesse Grant/Getty Images

In the aftermath of Carrie Prejean's firing by Donald Trump and his West Coast cohorts, the Miss California Organization proudly trotted out their new princess, Tami Farrell, on Today and the Early Show this morning.

She stuck to the company line on both shows, tossing out phrases about being "honored," "moving forward" and making herself "available to the program" and charities and all that jazz.

"I was a little hesitant to be stepping into the line of fire, I'll  be honest," she said in her choicest moment on Today. "There's been divisive questions. I've been brought in to try and unify our state. I'm not being silenced for my beliefs, but I just think that this isn't a battle that anybody can win, so I'm going to do my best to just refocus it on some of the other aspects."

However, the head of the Miss California pageant, Keith Lewis, who appeared alongside his new queen on both morning shows, had plenty to say…

Keep Reading

Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

Carrie Prejean just ran out of second chances.

The embattled Miss California, a controversy-magnet for her outspoken opposition to gay marriage, has been forced to turn over her tiara after ticking off Donald Trump one time to many.

In a just-released statement Trump and Miss California Pageant organizers say that Prejean has been fired for violating her contract—specifically for lending her famous face to outside organizations without getting permission from her handlers.

"I told Carrie she needed to get back to work and honor her contract with the Miss California USA Organization and I gave her the opportunity to do so," said Trump. "Unfortunately it just doesn’t look like it is going to happen.

"Carrie is a beautiful young woman and I wish her well as she pursues her other interests."

Developing story. More to come.