Shanna Moakler quits Miss USA over Miss California controversy

A day after Donald Trump allowed Miss California Carrie Prejean to keep her crown following controversy over her opposition to gay marriage and semi-nude photo scandal, former beauty queen Shanna Moakler has resigned from her spot with the Miss USA California organization.

Moakler, the reality star and ex-wife of drummer Travis Barker, is a proponent of gay rights.

Following Trump's decision, Moakler said she could no longer associate with the pageant because of Prejean''s comments and Trump''s decision, Usmagazine. com reported.

"I feel that at this time it is in my best interest to resign from the Miss California USA organization," The New York Daily News quoted her, as telling Us.

"I cannot with a clear conscience move forward supporting and promoting the Miss Universe Organization when I no longer believe in it," she added.

At a news conference, Trump defended Prejean for her position that marriage was between a man and a woman.

She gave her answer during the April 19 Miss USA Pageant, owned by Trump.

Prejean, 22, has charged that the semi-nude photos were leaked by people angry over her opposition to gay marriage.

Carrie Prejean Fights Back in New Anti Gay Marriage Campaign

While former Miss Californians Tamiko Nash and Raquel Beezley and current Miss California Director Shanna Moakler have been busy this week posing for a NO H8 Campaign to overturn Proposition 8 in California, the reigning Miss California has been busy promoting her new television ad campaign against gay marriage for the National Organization for Marriage.

The controversial ad entitled "No Offense" shows Carrie Prejean expressing her support for traditional marriage and then being attacked for explaining her support for marriage between a man and a woman as well as featuring footage of a gay marriage activist from the Human Rights Campaign referring to supporters of marriage as "outright bigots."

"Carrie only said what the majority of Americans believe: marriage means a man and a woman," Maggie Gallagher, president of NOM said in a statement. "Her example resonates, especially to many young Americans, because she chose to stand for truth rather than surrender her core values. The behavior of Carrie's critics raises a question in a lot of folks’ minds: if this is how they treat good people who disagree with them now, what will they do once they have the power of the law on their side?"

The move no doubt will upset the Miss California pageant team even more as they have reportedly asked their contestant (who could still go on to be Miss USA if Kristen Dalton scoops the Miss Universe title in August).

"Carrie is going to have to stop doing the press circuit about how great it is she used the First Amendment and her First Right, and really sit down with these people that she’s hurt," Moakler told Tarts last week.

Pageant official: We paid for Prejean’s implants

Shanna Moakler confirms that group paid for Miss California’s breast enhancement.

Shanna Moakler, co-executive director of the Miss California Organization, has confirmed the group behind the pageant paid for Miss California Carrie Prejean’s breast implants, weeks before she competed in Miss USA.

In a new interview with Access Hollywood’s Billy Bush, Shanna confirmed the news.

“Did you guys pay for it?” Billy asked Shanna directly.

“Yes,” Moakler said. “We did.”

The organization paid for Carrie’s breast enhancement prior to her competing in the Miss USA pageant, which was held in Las Vegas, almost two weeks ago.

“It was something that we all spoke about together,” Shanna said referring to herself, Carrie and Keith Lewis, Shanna's co-executive director. “It was an option and she wanted it. And we supported that decision.”

Shanna, a former Miss USA herself, defended the Miss California Organization’s decision to pay for the elective surgery.

“Breast implants in pageants is not a rarity. It’s definitely not taboo. It’s very common. Breast implants today among young women today is very common. I don’t personally have them, but you know — they are,” she added.

Shanna supported Carrie’s plastic surgery, however, she had a hard time standing behind Carrie’s opinion against gay marriage in her answer to a question from Perez Hilton during the Q&A portion of the Miss USA competition.

“The night of the show, I wrote Carrie and I congratulated Carrie and I also told her her answer, for me, did hurt feelings,” Shanna told Billy.

Carrie is still involved in a media frenzy, sparked by her controversial response at the Miss USA pageant, and Shanna claims the young woman has been avoiding responding to her Miss California bosses.

“We’ve tried really hard [to get in contact] and she keeps referring us to her mother and her PR person,” Shanna claimed. “That’s also sad for me… because, you know, there’s no hate here. I don’t hate Carrie Prejean. I supported her and I still stand behind her.”

When asked if stripping Carrie of her crown was a possibility, Shana said they need to see how things work out.

“I don’t want to fire her! I think she’s a great, young girl, and I got into pageants, because I want to help young girls. I want to guide young girls. I know what pageants [did] for me and I know what it can do for young women and also working within the community,” Shanna said.

“I don’t want to fire Carrie. I want her to use her platform, because this is her platform, I didn’t know she was this passionate about it … I’m glad I know now and I support and will help her, but …” she trailed off.

“Since you can’t communicate, when do you say, ‘Alright, come back and follow the Miss California itinerary and get on board or we’re going to fire you?’” Billy asked.

“I guess we’re all going to have to wait and see how that plays out because I don’t have the answers for that,” Shanna said.