Tara Conner
Encyclopedia
Tara Elizabeth Conner is an American beauty queen
and model, who was Miss USA
2006 and has also competed in the Miss Teen USA
and Miss Universe
pageants. Apart from her role as Miss USA, Conner has been employed as a model. She was a featured model on the HDNet
series Bikini Fantasies in 2004, posing in Lake Tahoe. She has also held the titles Miss Kentucky Teen USA
2002, Miss Kentucky County Fair 2004, and Miss Kentucky USA
2006.
In late 2006, Conner became the center of a public scandal when news reports claimed she had been drinking underage
, tested positive for the use of cocaine
, heroin and crystal meth, and kissed Miss Teen USA Katie Blair
, among other things. She was allowed to retain her title, provided she enter a drug rehabilitation
program.
On The Oprah Winfrey Show
, Donald Trump
said that he gave a second chance to Conner for personal reasons. His brother Fred died from alcoholism and Trump said, "I believe in second chances, and sometimes it works when you give somebody a second chance."
, Conner's family moved to Russell Springs, Kentucky
, when she was six weeks old. Tara Conner stated that she started resorting to drugs at the age of 14, when her parents separated from each other and her grandfather had died.
Conner graduated from Russell County
High School, in 2004, and at the time of her Miss USA win was studying toward a degree in Business Administration from Somerset Community College
.
Following her success in the Miss Teen USA pageant Conner was managed by agent Steve Rosenberg for six months and has modeled for companies such as Body Glove
.
title in 2001. In August 2002, she went on to compete in the Miss Teen USA pageant held in South Padre Island, Texas
. After making the first cut, Conner achieved the highest swimsuit score (9.18) among the 10 semi-finalists and had the fifth highest evening gown score (8.79). The average of these two scores placed her second overall after these two phases of competition. She eventually placed second runner-up to Vanessa Semrow
of Wisconsin
. Conner's placement equaled that of Kristen Johnson
as the second highest by any delegate representing Kentucky at the pageant.
crown, and was crowned by former Miss Kentucky Teen USA 2000 and Miss Kentucky USA 2005 Kristen Johnson. She was the third former teen titleholder to win the Miss Kentucky USA title, others being Johnson and Elizabeth Arnold, who held the teen title in 1998 and was Conner's sister titleholder as Miss Kentucky USA 2002.
In March, while still Miss Kentucky USA, Conner traveled to Los Angeles
to tape a special episode of Deal or No Deal which featured twenty five of the Miss USA 2006 delegates and reigning queen Chelsea Cooley
. The special aired in April 2006.
pageant in Baltimore, Maryland on April 21, 2006. Making the semi-finals, she became the 18th woman to place at both Miss Teen USA and Miss USA. She competed in the official BSC Swimwear Thailand for the swimsuit competition and made the top ten, where she competed in the evening gown competition, wearing a specially designed gown by Sherri Hill. Conner then made the top five and completed the final interview round.
Prior to the announcement of the winner, Conner and her eventual first runner-up Tamiko Nash
shared a long embrace, whilst Conner whispered to Nash. An E! special later revealed that Conner, believing Nash had won, was wishing her luck for her reign as Miss USA and her participation at Miss Universe. The traditional statement read before the announcement of the new titleholder, which declares that "if, for any reason the new titleholder cannot fulfill her reign, the first runner-up will take over", later become pertinent following the scandal surrounding Conner in December.
Conner eventually won the Miss USA title, the first woman from Kentucky to do so. She was crowned by previous titleholder Chelsea Cooley
, from North Carolina
. Conner was the fourth former Miss Teen USA state titleholder to win the Miss USA crown since 2000, one of whom was Cooley, who was Miss North Carolina Teen USA
2000.
pageant in Los Angeles, California
in July 23, 2006. Her roommate during the three weeks the delegates spent in Los Angeles was Kenisha Thom of Trinidad and Tobago
.
Conner made the initial cut of twenty delegates and went on to compete in the swimsuit competition, and as a member of the top ten, competed in evening gown, wearing a dress designed by Kayne Gillaspie
, a contestant on reality television
show Project Runway
Season 3. After making the top five and competing in a final interview round, Conner was announced as the fourth runner-up to new Miss Universe Zuleyka Rivera
of Puerto Rico. Conner is only the fifth Miss USA to finish fourth runner-up at Miss Universe
.
Immediately after winning the pageant, Conner moved into a Trump Place apartment that she shared with sister titleholders Zuleyka Rivera
(Miss Universe
2006) and Katie Blair
(Miss Teen USA
2006) during her reign. Her first week in New York included many media events, which included print interviews and spots on CNN Headline News
, Live! With Regis and Kelly, and The Early Show
.
On April 29, Conner returned to pageant host city Baltimore to make appearances connected with the Volvo Ocean Race
, sailing on board the yacht Black Pearl. and then returned to New York, appearing with Miss Universe
2005 Natalie Glebova
at the Invest in Our World Benefit on May 3.
In the first week of May she briefly returned to Kentucky for the Kentucky Derby
and was a celebrity guest at the Mint Jubilee Gala, attending the event with fellow national beauty queen Jennifer Berry
, Miss America
2006 (of Oklahoma
) and former Miss Kentucky USA
titleholders Lizzie Arnold and Kristen Johnson
, as well as other notable beauty queens. After returning to New York, Conner participated in charity events and was participated in a photo shoot with official photographer Fadil Berisha.
On May 18, 2006, Conner rang the opening bell at the American Stock Exchange
. She returned to Kentucky for her official homecoming in early June 2006. where she met with servicemen, with whom she posed for the July 2006 cover of Kentucky Monthly
magazine, and volunteered with local charities.
On July 19, 2006, Conner appeared as a guest judge in an episode of the third season of the Bravo! series Project Runway
. The contestants on the show competed against each other to create a dress for her to wear in the Miss Universe pageant. The dress was later featured in the evening gown competition of the pageant.
In August 2006, Conner met newly crowned Miss Universe Zuleyka Rivera
and outgoing Miss Teen USA Allie LaForce
in California where they were involved with media events, before all three travelled to Palm Springs, California
for the Miss Teen USA 2006
pageant. On August 15 LaForce crowned Katie Blair
of Montana as the new Miss Teen USA, and Conner, Rivera and Blair returned to New York the day after the pageant. Later that month, Conner and Blair attended a number of high-profile parties in New York including a Land Rover event featuring Maria Sharapova
, a U.S. Open
Kick-Off Party, a pre-Video Music Awards party hosted by Ciara
and Missy Elliott
and another Video Music Awards party hosted by Nick Lachey
.
In September 2006, Conner travelled to Boston, Massachusetts
to promote the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
Race for the Cure, as her predecessor Chelsea Cooley
had done the year previously. She then travelled to Colorado
to support the Cheryl Shackelford Foundation and to Pennsylvania to attend an event hosted by the USO of Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey. In October 2006, Conner spent time volunteering with more charities, including Gilda's Club
, Best Buddies, and Project Sunshine, before embarking on a USO tour to Italy and Turkey
in November 2006, where she met her brother, who is living in Italy.
During Thanksgiving
weekend of November 2006, Conner appeared on the Showboat float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
, becoming the fourth Miss USA to appear in the parade. After attending the Miss Kentucky USA 2007 pageant and crowning Michelle Banzer
as successor to her state title, she and Rivera travelled to Cannes, France and Italy where they made promotional appearances.
In December 2006, Conner should have celebrated her 21st birthday with a special event held at Pure Nightclub
at Caesars Palace
on the Las Vegas Strip
near Las Vegas, Nevada
but the event was later canceled because of the scandal.
Following her time in a rehabilitation center in Pennsylvania during December and January, Conner returned to the public stage in February and was interviewed by a number of news outlets. She made her first public appearance on February 4, 2007 when she, Katie Blair and Zuleyka Rivera appeared as models for Tadashi, a sponsor of the pageant, at a fashion show in New York City.
published an article stating that Conner might be dethroned for her behavior in several New York City bars
. The following day the website reported that Conner would be stripped of her crown, and that first runner-up Tamiko Nash
, who completed her reign as Miss California USA
in October
, would inherit the Miss USA title. This was neither confirmed nor denied by the Miss Universe Organization.
The December 16, 2006 edition of the New York Daily News
reported Conner had tested positive for cocaine
, had kissed Miss Teen USA
Katie Blair
in public, and had sneaked men into their Trump Place apartment. One New York City nightlife veteran said "She really is a small-town girl. She just went wild when she came to the city. Tara just couldn't handle herself. They were sneaking those nightclub
guys in and out of the apartment." According to Fox News, citing local New York newspapers, Conner "moved out of her apartment in one of Trump's luxury buildings on Manhattan's Upper West Side" sometime during the week of December 11, 2006.
On December 19, 2006, Trump held a press conference saying that Conner was not dethroned as Miss USA. "I've always been a believer in second chances," Trump said. Had Conner been dethroned, she would have been the first Miss USA to have her title removed since Mary Leona Gage
in 1957. It was also announced that Conner would be entering Caron Treatment Centers, an alcoholism
rehabilitation
facility in Pennsylvania
. During the press conference Conner declined to comment on allegations of illicit drug use and claimed she was not an alcoholic but acknowledged making serious mistakes.
After coming out of rehab less than two months later in February 2007, Conner admitted in an interview with Matt Lauer
that she had abused cocaine and anti-depressants. Conner said that she had faced her "demons" and hinted her problems may have stemmed from some unspecified abuse during her childhood with someone she recently confronted. She would not comment on whether this abuse was sexual. "I will not deny that I have witnessed some abuse, but out of respect for my family ... it's something I would like to speak with my family about first," Conner told NBC television's "Today" show. "Later on, maybe I'll feel more comfortable about speaking on these topics, but right now not so much." She also participated in an interview on Larry King Live
.
On April 1, 2007 she attended WWE
's WrestleMania 23
in Detroit, Michigan. In the Hair vs. Hair Match
she came down to the ring as the attendant of Donald Trump. In January 2008 it was announced that Conner would be writing a book about her life as Miss USA and her struggles with drugs and alcohol.
Tara currently serves as a Public Advocacy Consultant for Caron Treatment Centers, sharing her journey of recovery with others and being an advocate for those whose lives have been impacted by addiction.
reality show Pageant Place
as the surprise fourth roommate to the 2007 Miss Universe Organization pageant winners Miss Universe
Riyo Mori
, Miss USA
Rachel Smith
, and Miss Teen USA
Hilary Cruz
as they live together in an apartment in New York City
. The series premiered on October 10, 2007, and during this episode Donald Trump
revealed that Katie Blair had been the one who had turned in Conner for alcohol and drug abuse because she felt that Conner was trying to steal Blair's boyfriend Josh.
For MTV's Spring Break 2008, Conner appeared with comedian Dan Levy
in Pretty Smart, a competition challenging contestants to figure out who among a group of attractive men and women also "offers more than just a pretty face" and has "a brain to match."
Conner was a contestant on the third season of CMT
's Gone Country, which premiered in January 2009.
Conner hosted the first season of MTV
's The Girls of Hedsor Hall
, which premiered in February 2009.
Conner was a judge at the Miss USA 2010
pageant, held on May 16, 2010.
Beauty Queen
"Beauty Queen" is the second song from Roxy Music's second album, For Your Pleasure. The lyrics refer to Ferry's girlfriend, Valerie Leon, one-time UK beauty queen, B-movie actress and model working in the Newcastle area, circa 1973.-Musicians:...
and model, who was Miss USA
Miss USA
The Miss USA beauty contest has been held annually since 1952 to select the United States entrant in the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Universe Organization operates both pageants, as well as Miss Teen USA...
2006 and has also competed in the Miss Teen USA
Miss Teen USA
Miss Teen USA is a beauty pageant run by the Miss Universe Organization for girls aged 14–19. The reigning titleholder is Danielle Doty of Texas....
and Miss Universe
Miss Universe
Miss Universe is an annual international beauty contest that is run by the Miss Universe Organization. The pageant is the most publicized beauty contest in the world with 600 million viewers....
pageants. Apart from her role as Miss USA, Conner has been employed as a model. She was a featured model on the HDNet
HDNet
HDNet is a men's interest television channel in the United States, broadcasting exclusively in high-definition format and available via cable and satellite television...
series Bikini Fantasies in 2004, posing in Lake Tahoe. She has also held the titles Miss Kentucky Teen USA
Miss Kentucky Teen USA
The Miss Kentucky Teen USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Kentucky in the Miss Teen USA pageant.Kentucky is ranked eight in terms of place and value of placements across all twenty-three years of competition at Miss Teen USA. When this is broken down to...
2002, Miss Kentucky County Fair 2004, and Miss Kentucky USA
Miss Kentucky USA
The Miss Kentucky USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Kentucky in the Miss USA pageant. The current director for the Miss Kentucky USA and Miss Kentucky Teen USA titles is Connie Clark Harrison. Mrs...
2006.
In late 2006, Conner became the center of a public scandal when news reports claimed she had been drinking underage
Legal drinking age
Laws about the legal drinking age cover a wide range of issues and behaviours, addressing when and where alcohol can be consumed. The minimum age alcohol can be legally consumed can be different to the age when it can be purchased. These laws vary among different countries and many laws have...
, tested positive for the use of cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
, heroin and crystal meth, and kissed Miss Teen USA Katie Blair
Katie Blair
Katherine Amanda Blair is an American model, beauty queen, and television personality from Billings, Montana, who held the Miss Teen USA 2006 and Miss California USA 2011 title. She was the first person from Montana to win a major pageant title...
, among other things. She was allowed to retain her title, provided she enter a drug rehabilitation
Drug rehabilitation
Drug rehabilitation is a term for the processes of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment, for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and so-called street drugs such as cocaine, heroin or amphetamines...
program.
On The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
, Donald Trump
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump, Sr. is an American business magnate, television personality and author. He is the chairman and president of The Trump Organization and the founder of Trump Entertainment Resorts. Trump's extravagant lifestyle, outspoken manner and role on the NBC reality show The Apprentice have...
said that he gave a second chance to Conner for personal reasons. His brother Fred died from alcoholism and Trump said, "I believe in second chances, and sometimes it works when you give somebody a second chance."
Early life
After she was born in Dallas, TexasDallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, Conner's family moved to Russell Springs, Kentucky
Russell Springs, Kentucky
Russell Springs is the largest city in Russell County, Kentucky, United States. Also is the Gateway to Lake Cumberland one of the largest man made lakes in the region, created by Wolf Creek Dam. The area has thrived since the 1850s as a health resort because of its location near a chalybeate spring...
, when she was six weeks old. Tara Conner stated that she started resorting to drugs at the age of 14, when her parents separated from each other and her grandfather had died.
Conner graduated from Russell County
Russell County, Kentucky
Russell County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. The population was 17,565 in the 2010 Census. Its county seat is Jamestown. The county is named for William Russell...
High School, in 2004, and at the time of her Miss USA win was studying toward a degree in Business Administration from Somerset Community College
Somerset Community College
Somerset Community College , located in Somerset, Kentucky, is one of 16 two-year, open-admissions colleges of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System . The college offers academic, general education, and technical curricula leading to certificates, diplomas, and associate's degrees...
.
Following her success in the Miss Teen USA pageant Conner was managed by agent Steve Rosenberg for six months and has modeled for companies such as Body Glove
Body Glove
Body Glove International, LLC is a major surf/skateboard/watersports brand started in the United States. Body Glove was founded in 1953 by twin brothers Bill and Bob Meistrell. The brothers invented the very first practical wetsuit in the early 1950s in the back of their Redondo Beach, California...
.
Miss Teen USA 2002
Conner won the Miss Kentucky Teen USAMiss Kentucky Teen USA
The Miss Kentucky Teen USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Kentucky in the Miss Teen USA pageant.Kentucky is ranked eight in terms of place and value of placements across all twenty-three years of competition at Miss Teen USA. When this is broken down to...
title in 2001. In August 2002, she went on to compete in the Miss Teen USA pageant held in South Padre Island, Texas
South Padre Island, Texas
South Padre Island is a town in Cameron County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Brownsville–Harlingen Metropolitan Statistical Area. It may be included as part of the Brownsville–Harlingen–Raymondville and the Matamoros–Brownsville metropolitan areas. The population was 2,816 at the...
. After making the first cut, Conner achieved the highest swimsuit score (9.18) among the 10 semi-finalists and had the fifth highest evening gown score (8.79). The average of these two scores placed her second overall after these two phases of competition. She eventually placed second runner-up to Vanessa Semrow
Vanessa Marie Semrow
Vanessa Marie Semrow is a beauty queen from Rhinelander, Wisconsin who held the Miss Teen USA 2002 title.Semrow won her first title, Miss Wisconsin Teen USA on October 15, 2001, in a pageant paying tribute to the events of September 11, 2001...
of Wisconsin
Miss Wisconsin Teen USA
The Miss Wisconsin Teen USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Wisconsin in the Miss Teen USA pageant.Wisconsin is one of the least successful states at Miss Teen USA, having only placed on two occasions...
. Conner's placement equaled that of Kristen Johnson
Kristen Johnson
Kristen Lynn Johnson is a beauty queen who has represented Kentucky at both Miss USA and Miss Teen USA.-Miss Kentucky USA:Before Johnson returned to the USA pageant stage, she competed and won the title Miss Model of Kentucky....
as the second highest by any delegate representing Kentucky at the pageant.
Miss Kentucky USA 2006
Conner returned to pageantry in November 2005 when she won the Miss Kentucky USAMiss Kentucky USA
The Miss Kentucky USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Kentucky in the Miss USA pageant. The current director for the Miss Kentucky USA and Miss Kentucky Teen USA titles is Connie Clark Harrison. Mrs...
crown, and was crowned by former Miss Kentucky Teen USA 2000 and Miss Kentucky USA 2005 Kristen Johnson. She was the third former teen titleholder to win the Miss Kentucky USA title, others being Johnson and Elizabeth Arnold, who held the teen title in 1998 and was Conner's sister titleholder as Miss Kentucky USA 2002.
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
to tape a special episode of Deal or No Deal which featured twenty five of the Miss USA 2006 delegates and reigning queen Chelsea Cooley
Chelsea Cooley
Chelsea Cooley is a beauty queen from Charlotte, North Carolina who has competed in the Miss Teen USA, Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants and who has held the Miss USA 2005 title....
. The special aired in April 2006.
Miss USA 2006
Conner represented Kentucky during the nationally televised Miss USA 2006Miss USA 2006
Miss USA 2006, the 55th Miss USA pageant, was held at the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, Maryland on April 21, 2006. Fifty-one state titleholders competed for the title, which was won by Tara Conner of Kentucky...
pageant in Baltimore, Maryland on April 21, 2006. Making the semi-finals, she became the 18th woman to place at both Miss Teen USA and Miss USA. She competed in the official BSC Swimwear Thailand for the swimsuit competition and made the top ten, where she competed in the evening gown competition, wearing a specially designed gown by Sherri Hill. Conner then made the top five and completed the final interview round.
Prior to the announcement of the winner, Conner and her eventual first runner-up Tamiko Nash
Tamiko Nash
Tamiko Pleshette Nash is a beauty queen from Los Angeles, California who has competed in the Miss USA pageant.Nash won the Miss California USA pageant in 2005, becoming only the third African-American to hold the title...
shared a long embrace, whilst Conner whispered to Nash. An E! special later revealed that Conner, believing Nash had won, was wishing her luck for her reign as Miss USA and her participation at Miss Universe. The traditional statement read before the announcement of the new titleholder, which declares that "if, for any reason the new titleholder cannot fulfill her reign, the first runner-up will take over", later become pertinent following the scandal surrounding Conner in December.
Conner eventually won the Miss USA title, the first woman from Kentucky to do so. She was crowned by previous titleholder Chelsea Cooley
Chelsea Cooley
Chelsea Cooley is a beauty queen from Charlotte, North Carolina who has competed in the Miss Teen USA, Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants and who has held the Miss USA 2005 title....
, from North Carolina
Miss North Carolina USA
The Miss North Carolina USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state North Carolina in the Miss USA pageant. This state is part of the RPM Productions group....
. Conner was the fourth former Miss Teen USA state titleholder to win the Miss USA crown since 2000, one of whom was Cooley, who was Miss North Carolina Teen USA
Miss North Carolina Teen USA
The Miss North Carolina Teen USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of North Carolina in the Miss Teen USA pageant and is part of the RPM Productions group....
2000.
Miss Universe 2006
Conner represented the United States at the Miss Universe 2006Miss Universe 2006
Miss Universe 2006, the 55th Miss Universe pageant, took place at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, USA. Unlike past events, it was broadcast live on NBC on a Sunday, July 23, 2006, almost two months later than usual....
pageant in Los Angeles, California
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in July 23, 2006. Her roommate during the three weeks the delegates spent in Los Angeles was Kenisha Thom of Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
.
Conner made the initial cut of twenty delegates and went on to compete in the swimsuit competition, and as a member of the top ten, competed in evening gown, wearing a dress designed by Kayne Gillaspie
Kayne Gillaspie
Johnathan Kayne Gillaspie is an American fashion designer, specializing in beauty pageant gowns. He was a contestant on the third season of the Bravo reality series Project Runway after being rejected during second-season auditions....
, a contestant on reality television
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
show Project Runway
Project Runway
Project Runway is an American reality television series on Lifetime Television, previously on the Bravo network, which focuses on fashion design and is hosted by model Heidi Klum. The contestants compete with each other to create the best clothes and are restricted in time, materials and theme...
Season 3. After making the top five and competing in a final interview round, Conner was announced as the fourth runner-up to new Miss Universe Zuleyka Rivera
Zuleyka Rivera
Zuleyka Jerrís Rivera Mendoza is a Puerto Rican beauty queen who held the titles Miss Puerto Rico Universe 2006 and Miss Universe 2006. She made her debut as a telenovela actress in Telemundo's soap opera Dame Chocolate.-Early life:...
of Puerto Rico. Conner is only the fifth Miss USA to finish fourth runner-up at Miss Universe
Miss Universe
Miss Universe is an annual international beauty contest that is run by the Miss Universe Organization. The pageant is the most publicized beauty contest in the world with 600 million viewers....
.
Year in the life of Miss USA
Zuleyka Rivera
Zuleyka Jerrís Rivera Mendoza is a Puerto Rican beauty queen who held the titles Miss Puerto Rico Universe 2006 and Miss Universe 2006. She made her debut as a telenovela actress in Telemundo's soap opera Dame Chocolate.-Early life:...
(Miss Universe
Miss Universe
Miss Universe is an annual international beauty contest that is run by the Miss Universe Organization. The pageant is the most publicized beauty contest in the world with 600 million viewers....
2006) and Katie Blair
Katie Blair
Katherine Amanda Blair is an American model, beauty queen, and television personality from Billings, Montana, who held the Miss Teen USA 2006 and Miss California USA 2011 title. She was the first person from Montana to win a major pageant title...
(Miss Teen USA
Miss Teen USA
Miss Teen USA is a beauty pageant run by the Miss Universe Organization for girls aged 14–19. The reigning titleholder is Danielle Doty of Texas....
2006) during her reign. Her first week in New York included many media events, which included print interviews and spots on CNN Headline News
CNN Headline News
HLN, formerly known as CNN Headline News and CNN2, is a cable television news channel based in the United States and a spinoff of the cable news television channel, CNN. Initially airing tightly-formatted 30-minute newscasts around the clock, since 2005, the channel has increasingly aired long-form...
, Live! With Regis and Kelly, and The Early Show
The Early Show
The Early Show is an American television morning news talk show broadcast by CBS from New York City. The program airs live from 7 to 9 a.m. Eastern Time Monday through Friday; most affiliates in the Central, Mountain, and Pacific time zones air the show on tape-delay from 7 to 9 a.m. local time. ...
.
On April 29, Conner returned to pageant host city Baltimore to make appearances connected with the Volvo Ocean Race
Volvo Ocean Race
The Volvo Ocean Race is a yacht race around the world, held every three years. It is named after its current owner, Volvo...
, sailing on board the yacht Black Pearl. and then returned to New York, appearing with Miss Universe
Miss Universe
Miss Universe is an annual international beauty contest that is run by the Miss Universe Organization. The pageant is the most publicized beauty contest in the world with 600 million viewers....
2005 Natalie Glebova
Natalie Glebova
Natalie Glebova is a Russian Canadian beauty queen, the 2005 Miss Universe title holder.-Personal life:Glebova was born in Tuapse, Russia. She studied classical piano and graduated from a professional musical school at age of 12. She also has won various regional rhythmic gymnastics championships...
at the Invest in Our World Benefit on May 3.
In the first week of May she briefly returned to Kentucky for the Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
and was a celebrity guest at the Mint Jubilee Gala, attending the event with fellow national beauty queen Jennifer Berry
Jennifer Berry
Jennifer Berry-Gooden was crowned Miss America on January 21, 2006. A resident of Tulsa, Oklahoma, she was the fifth Miss America from Oklahoma to hold the title....
, Miss America
Miss America
The Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
2006 (of Oklahoma
Miss Oklahoma
The Miss Oklahoma competition selects a winner to compete on behalf of Oklahoma in the Miss America pageant. Miss Oklahoma has won the crown on five occasions. Also, in the years when city representatives were common, Norma Smallwood won, competing as Miss Tulsa, giving the state of Oklahoma a...
) and former Miss Kentucky USA
Miss Kentucky USA
The Miss Kentucky USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Kentucky in the Miss USA pageant. The current director for the Miss Kentucky USA and Miss Kentucky Teen USA titles is Connie Clark Harrison. Mrs...
titleholders Lizzie Arnold and Kristen Johnson
Kristen Johnson
Kristen Lynn Johnson is a beauty queen who has represented Kentucky at both Miss USA and Miss Teen USA.-Miss Kentucky USA:Before Johnson returned to the USA pageant stage, she competed and won the title Miss Model of Kentucky....
, as well as other notable beauty queens. After returning to New York, Conner participated in charity events and was participated in a photo shoot with official photographer Fadil Berisha.
On May 18, 2006, Conner rang the opening bell at the American Stock Exchange
American Stock Exchange
NYSE Amex Equities, formerly known as the American Stock Exchange is an American stock exchange situated in New York. AMEX was a mutual organization, owned by its members. Until 1953, it was known as the New York Curb Exchange. On January 17, 2008, NYSE Euronext announced it would acquire the...
. She returned to Kentucky for her official homecoming in early June 2006. where she met with servicemen, with whom she posed for the July 2006 cover of Kentucky Monthly
Kentucky Monthly
Kentucky Monthly is a general interest regional magazine about the U.S. state of Kentucky and Kentuckians. Founded in 1998 by Stephen M. Vest, publisher, Michael Embry, editor, and business manager Kay Vest, it featured actor George Clooney on its first cover and has featured such Kentucky...
magazine, and volunteered with local charities.
On July 19, 2006, Conner appeared as a guest judge in an episode of the third season of the Bravo! series Project Runway
Project Runway
Project Runway is an American reality television series on Lifetime Television, previously on the Bravo network, which focuses on fashion design and is hosted by model Heidi Klum. The contestants compete with each other to create the best clothes and are restricted in time, materials and theme...
. The contestants on the show competed against each other to create a dress for her to wear in the Miss Universe pageant. The dress was later featured in the evening gown competition of the pageant.
In August 2006, Conner met newly crowned Miss Universe Zuleyka Rivera
Zuleyka Rivera
Zuleyka Jerrís Rivera Mendoza is a Puerto Rican beauty queen who held the titles Miss Puerto Rico Universe 2006 and Miss Universe 2006. She made her debut as a telenovela actress in Telemundo's soap opera Dame Chocolate.-Early life:...
and outgoing Miss Teen USA Allie LaForce
Allie LaForce
Alexandra Leigh "Allie" LaForce is a beauty queen from Vermilion, Ohio who held the Miss Teen USA 2005 title who now works as a broadcast sports reporter....
in California where they were involved with media events, before all three travelled to Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs is a desert city in Riverside County, California, within the Coachella Valley. It is located approximately 37 miles east of San Bernardino, 111 miles east of Los Angeles and 136 miles northeast of San Diego...
for the Miss Teen USA 2006
Miss Teen USA 2006
Miss Teen USA 2006, the 24th Miss Teen USA pageant, was televised live from Palm Springs Convention Center, Palm Springs, California on August 15, 2006. The pageant was won by Katie Blair of Montana....
pageant. On August 15 LaForce crowned Katie Blair
Katie Blair
Katherine Amanda Blair is an American model, beauty queen, and television personality from Billings, Montana, who held the Miss Teen USA 2006 and Miss California USA 2011 title. She was the first person from Montana to win a major pageant title...
of Montana as the new Miss Teen USA, and Conner, Rivera and Blair returned to New York the day after the pageant. Later that month, Conner and Blair attended a number of high-profile parties in New York including a Land Rover event featuring Maria Sharapova
Maria Sharapova
Maria Yuryevna Sharapova ,. is a Russian professional tennis player and a former world no. 1. A US resident since 1994, Sharapova has won 24 WTA singles titles, including three Grand Slam singles titles at the 2004 Wimbledon, 2006 US Open and 2008 Australian Open...
, a U.S. Open
U.S. Open (tennis)
The US Open, formally the United States Open Tennis Championships, is a hardcourt tennis tournament which is the modern iteration of one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, the U.S. National Championship, which for men's singles was first contested in 1881...
Kick-Off Party, a pre-Video Music Awards party hosted by Ciara
Ciara
Ciara Princess Harris , known mononymously as Ciara, is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, actress and fashion model. Born in Austin, Texas, she traveled around the world during her childhood, only to land in Atlanta, Georgia where she met music producer, Jazze Pha...
and Missy Elliott
Missy Elliott
Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott , is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actressA five-time Grammy Award winner, Elliott, with record sales of over seven million in the United States, is the only female rapper to have five albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one...
and another Video Music Awards party hosted by Nick Lachey
Nick Lachey
Nicholas Scott "Nick" Lachey is an American singer, songwriter, actor, producer and television personality. Lachey rose to fame as a member of the boy band 98 Degrees. He later starred in the reality television series Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica with his then-wife, Jessica Simpson. He has released...
.
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
to promote the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
Susan G. Komen for the Cure, formerly known as The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, often referred to as simply Komen, is the most widely known, largest and best-funded breast cancer organization in the US....
Race for the Cure, as her predecessor Chelsea Cooley
Chelsea Cooley
Chelsea Cooley is a beauty queen from Charlotte, North Carolina who has competed in the Miss Teen USA, Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants and who has held the Miss USA 2005 title....
had done the year previously. She then travelled to Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
to support the Cheryl Shackelford Foundation and to Pennsylvania to attend an event hosted by the USO of Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey. In October 2006, Conner spent time volunteering with more charities, including Gilda's Club
Gilda's Club
Gilda's Club, named in tribute to the late comic actress Gilda Radner, who died of ovarian cancer in 1989, is a community meeting place for people living with cancer, their families and friends. There are 22 open clubhouses and nine in development in North America...
, Best Buddies, and Project Sunshine, before embarking on a USO tour to Italy and Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
in November 2006, where she met her brother, who is living in Italy.
During Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
weekend of November 2006, Conner appeared on the Showboat float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, often shortened to Macy's Day Parade, is an annual parade presented by Macy's. The tradition started in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States along with America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit, and four years younger than...
, becoming the fourth Miss USA to appear in the parade. After attending the Miss Kentucky USA 2007 pageant and crowning Michelle Banzer
Michelle Banzer
Michelle Stephanie Banzer also known as Michelle Zen is a model and beauty queen from Louisville, Kentucky who competed in the Miss USA pageant in 2007....
as successor to her state title, she and Rivera travelled to Cannes, France and Italy where they made promotional appearances.
In December 2006, Conner should have celebrated her 21st birthday with a special event held at Pure Nightclub
Pure Nightclub
Pure is a popular nightclub at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. The venue is and is the host of The Pussycat Dolls Lounge. The club is frequented by celebrities...
at Caesars Palace
Caesars Palace
Caesars Palace is a luxury hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, an unincorporated township in Clark County, Nevada, United States in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. Caesars Palace is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment Corp....
on the Las Vegas Strip
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
near Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
but the event was later canceled because of the scandal.
Following her time in a rehabilitation center in Pennsylvania during December and January, Conner returned to the public stage in February and was interviewed by a number of news outlets. She made her first public appearance on February 4, 2007 when she, Katie Blair and Zuleyka Rivera appeared as models for Tadashi, a sponsor of the pageant, at a fashion show in New York City.
Controversy
On December 14, 2006, controversy erupted when TMZ.comTMZ.com
TMZ.com is a celebrity news website that debuted on November 8, 2005. It was a collaboration between America Online and Telepictures Productions, a division of Warner Bros., until Time Warner divested AOL in 2009. However, it is still affiliated with AOL News and has the AOL News logo affixed in...
published an article stating that Conner might be dethroned for her behavior in several New York City bars
Bar (establishment)
A bar is a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks — beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — for consumption on the premises.Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or counters for their patrons. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go...
. The following day the website reported that Conner would be stripped of her crown, and that first runner-up Tamiko Nash
Tamiko Nash
Tamiko Pleshette Nash is a beauty queen from Los Angeles, California who has competed in the Miss USA pageant.Nash won the Miss California USA pageant in 2005, becoming only the third African-American to hold the title...
, who completed her reign as Miss California USA
Miss California USA
Miss California USA is a pageant that selects the representative for the state of California in the Miss USA pageant.The current titleholder is Katie Blair. She succeeded Alyssa Campanella on June 25, 2011 after Campanella was crowned Miss USA 2011....
in October
October 2006
October 2006 was a month that began on a Sunday.The month was marked by a nuclear test by North Korea that prompted that passing of Resolution 1718 by the United Nations Security Council....
, would inherit the Miss USA title. This was neither confirmed nor denied by the Miss Universe Organization.
The December 16, 2006 edition of the New York Daily News
New York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
reported Conner had tested positive for cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
, had kissed Miss Teen USA
Miss Teen USA
Miss Teen USA is a beauty pageant run by the Miss Universe Organization for girls aged 14–19. The reigning titleholder is Danielle Doty of Texas....
Katie Blair
Katie Blair
Katherine Amanda Blair is an American model, beauty queen, and television personality from Billings, Montana, who held the Miss Teen USA 2006 and Miss California USA 2011 title. She was the first person from Montana to win a major pageant title...
in public, and had sneaked men into their Trump Place apartment. One New York City nightlife veteran said "She really is a small-town girl. She just went wild when she came to the city. Tara just couldn't handle herself. They were sneaking those nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
guys in and out of the apartment." According to Fox News, citing local New York newspapers, Conner "moved out of her apartment in one of Trump's luxury buildings on Manhattan's Upper West Side" sometime during the week of December 11, 2006.
On December 19, 2006, Trump held a press conference saying that Conner was not dethroned as Miss USA. "I've always been a believer in second chances," Trump said. Had Conner been dethroned, she would have been the first Miss USA to have her title removed since Mary Leona Gage
Mary Leona Gage
Mary Leona Gage was a beauty queen from Maryland who was crowned Miss USA 1957, the first, and so far, only woman from that state to capture the Miss USA crown...
in 1957. It was also announced that Conner would be entering Caron Treatment Centers, an alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
rehabilitation
Drug rehabilitation
Drug rehabilitation is a term for the processes of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment, for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and so-called street drugs such as cocaine, heroin or amphetamines...
facility in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. During the press conference Conner declined to comment on allegations of illicit drug use and claimed she was not an alcoholic but acknowledged making serious mistakes.
After coming out of rehab less than two months later in February 2007, Conner admitted in an interview with Matt Lauer
Matt Lauer
Matthew Todd "Matt" Lauer . is an American television journalist best known as the host of NBC's The Today Show since 1997. He was previously a news anchor in New York and a local talk-show host in Boston, Philadelphia, Providence and Richmond...
that she had abused cocaine and anti-depressants. Conner said that she had faced her "demons" and hinted her problems may have stemmed from some unspecified abuse during her childhood with someone she recently confronted. She would not comment on whether this abuse was sexual. "I will not deny that I have witnessed some abuse, but out of respect for my family ... it's something I would like to speak with my family about first," Conner told NBC television's "Today" show. "Later on, maybe I'll feel more comfortable about speaking on these topics, but right now not so much." She also participated in an interview on Larry King Live
Larry King Live
Larry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was CNN's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly....
.
On April 1, 2007 she attended WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
's WrestleMania 23
WrestleMania 23
WrestleMania 23 was the twenty-third annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on April 1, 2007 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan...
in Detroit, Michigan. In the Hair vs. Hair Match
Professional wrestling match types
Many types of matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, can be found in the form of performing art that is professional wrestling....
she came down to the ring as the attendant of Donald Trump. In January 2008 it was announced that Conner would be writing a book about her life as Miss USA and her struggles with drugs and alcohol.
Tara currently serves as a Public Advocacy Consultant for Caron Treatment Centers, sharing her journey of recovery with others and being an advocate for those whose lives have been impacted by addiction.
Pageant Place and beyond
Conner appeared on the 2007 MTVMTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
reality show Pageant Place
Pageant Place
Pageant Place is an American reality show that follows Miss Universe Organization pageant winners Miss Universe Riyo Mori, Miss USA Rachel Smith and Miss Teen USA 2006 Katie Blair, as they live together in an apartment in New York. They are guided by Miss USA 2006 Tara Conner, in a chaperonal role...
as the surprise fourth roommate to the 2007 Miss Universe Organization pageant winners Miss Universe
Miss Universe
Miss Universe is an annual international beauty contest that is run by the Miss Universe Organization. The pageant is the most publicized beauty contest in the world with 600 million viewers....
Riyo Mori
Riyo Mori
is a Japanese dance instructor and model who won the Miss Universe 2007 title in May 2007.-Early life:...
, Miss USA
Miss USA
The Miss USA beauty contest has been held annually since 1952 to select the United States entrant in the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Universe Organization operates both pageants, as well as Miss Teen USA...
Rachel Smith
Rachel Smith
Rachel Renee Smith is an American beauty queen and television personality from Clarksville, Tennessee, who won the Miss USA pageant in 2007 and who previously had competed in the Miss Teen USA pageant.-Early life:...
, and Miss Teen USA
Miss Teen USA
Miss Teen USA is a beauty pageant run by the Miss Universe Organization for girls aged 14–19. The reigning titleholder is Danielle Doty of Texas....
Hilary Cruz
Hilary Cruz
Hilary Cruz is a beauty queen from Louisville, Colorado who won Miss Teen USA in August of 2007.In 2007, Cruz represented Colorado in the Miss Teen USA 2007 pageant held in Pasadena, California in August 2007. During the live television broadcast on August 24, 2007, Cruz was crowned Miss Teen USA...
as they live together in an apartment in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The series premiered on October 10, 2007, and during this episode Donald Trump
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump, Sr. is an American business magnate, television personality and author. He is the chairman and president of The Trump Organization and the founder of Trump Entertainment Resorts. Trump's extravagant lifestyle, outspoken manner and role on the NBC reality show The Apprentice have...
revealed that Katie Blair had been the one who had turned in Conner for alcohol and drug abuse because she felt that Conner was trying to steal Blair's boyfriend Josh.
For MTV's Spring Break 2008, Conner appeared with comedian Dan Levy
Dan Levy
Dan Levy is a Los Angeles, California-based comedian.- Biography :In 1993, Levy was a member of the "Half Pint Players", a teen-age improvisation group in Stamford, Connecticut....
in Pretty Smart, a competition challenging contestants to figure out who among a group of attractive men and women also "offers more than just a pretty face" and has "a brain to match."
Conner was a contestant on the third season of CMT
Country Music Television
Country Music Television, or CMT, is an American country music-oriented cable television network. Programming includes music videos, taped concerts, movies, biographies of country music stars, game shows, and reality programs...
's Gone Country, which premiered in January 2009.
Conner hosted the first season of MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's The Girls of Hedsor Hall
The Girls of Hedsor Hall
The Girls of Hedsor Hall is an MTV reality TV series similar to Ladette to Lady and VH1's Charm School. The series takes 12 out of control American girls to England's Hedsor House, a filming, wedding, conference and events venue . There a finishing school called Hedsor Hall was created where they...
, which premiered in February 2009.
Conner was a judge at the Miss USA 2010
Miss USA 2010
Miss USA 2010, the 59th edition of the Miss USA pageant, was held at the Theatre for the Performing Arts in Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 16, 2010. Miss USA 2009, Kristen Dalton of North Carolina, crowned her successor, Rima Fakih of Michigan as Miss USA 2010 at the...
pageant, held on May 16, 2010.