Exclusive: Carrie Prejean Speaks Out for First time Since Losing Miss California Title

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," June 11, 2009. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, "HANNITY" HOST: Carrie Prejean, the former Miss California, was stripped of her crown amidst allegations that she violated her contract. Now, this is her first appearance since that event, and she joins me now in an official interview.

Carrie, welcome back. Thanks for being with us.

CARRIE PREJEAN, FORMER MISS CALIFORNIA: Hi, Sean, thank you for having me.

HANNITY: Should I congratulate you? Or are you sad about the events as they have unfolded now in the last couple of hours?

PREJEAN: Well, I'm definitely not sad about it. I'm a little bit disappointed.

HANNITY: Now, you — I read your statement here. And by the way, in typical fashion, you have been very gracious. You thanked the people of California; you thanked Donald Trump; you thanked Tammy Farrell, who's going to be replacing you. "I know she'll do a great job," you said, so — but yet there's this controversy. Tell us what happened.

PREJEAN: Sean, I honestly don't know what happened. All I know is yesterday morning I was on my way to an event, and I got a phone call from the media, and they said, "What's your statement," basically. And I said, "About what?"

And they said, you know, "About you getting fired." And I couldn't believe it. I was absolutely speechless. I didn't know what to say. That was the first I'd heard of it.

HANNITY: Now that's odd. They never contacted you. You found out from the media that this had happened.

PREJEAN: Uh-huh, yes, I did.

HANNITY: Your statement, you said, "I worked in good faith to meet all my responsibilities as Miss California." You met every scheduled appearance, every responsibility. You followed the proper protocol, et cetera, et cetera, about engagements. You didn't do anything outside of what the contract said. There was, as far as you're concerned, no violation at all?

PREJEAN: I have not violated my contract. In fact I have worked so hard since the press conference, and I thank Donald Trump so much for all he's done for me. But I followed the contract to the "T" and done everything possible to cooperate with — with the circumstances that I was under. So I've not done anything to be in breach of contract, Sean.

HANNITY: Now, the people from, I guess, Miss California, the pageant — this is not Donald Trump, by the way. The people that you were having conflicts with from the very beginning. They got in contact with my office and wanted to make sure I saw these e-mails, this list of emails here.

And one of the things I'm noticing, they didn't release the entire thread of e-mails. Have you seen the ones that have been released?

PREJEAN: No, I haven't, and I mean, of course that's obvious that they're not going to release all of the information that was back and forth, but I know that there was about 70 e-mails back and forth from us, whether it was from my attorney to Keith Lewis' attorney or from myself back to Keith or his assistant. So there was constant communication; it just definitely was a miscommunication.

HANNITY: Well, there were times I could tell that you were a little bit frustrated in the things that they were asking you to do. For example, there's this one exchange. Why would you even allow this offer to be presented, and this specifically was — you said it was unprofessional. Playboy had offered you money to pose semi nude.

PREJEAN: Right, and that was actually maybe a few days after the press conference. I could not believe the e-mail that I received. It was two different offers. One was for a reality show. The other one was for Playboy, and my mouth just dropped, Sean. I couldn't believe that my directors were asking me to do this sort of thing right after this huge press conference.

HANNITY: Yes. Well, and you even said in this, "Of course I would not do that. It's a setup to get me dethroned."

Do you think that they were purposely setting you up, and do you think by releasing these private — and they've released your private e-mail address...

PREJEAN: Yes.

HANNITY: ... that they purposely — why would they do that and how do you feel about that?

PREJEAN: Well, Sean, all I know is from the moment I gave my answer on stage that night, I have had no support from Keith Lewis or Shanna Moakler or from anybody from the Miss California organization.

HANNITY: Well, one of the things you said, and you talk about this in your press release, you said you hope Americans watching this story understand that you've learned through all this, that you've done your best under difficult circumstances to handle the vicious attacks.

Now, Perez Hilton, who asked that original question, he called you a dumb, and then he used the "B" word. Very few people came to your defense. Why do you think that is?

PREJEAN: Right, and I think at this point, everybody is trying to cover themselves. You know, this is a business, and this is — a pageant, and nobody wants to look like the bad guy.

I think that I was bold enough to take a stand that I took on that stage that night. I lost the crown, I think, because of my answer. And whether or not people want to agree with me or not, but this is all happening right now because of the stance that I took and the boldness that I took for traditional marriage.

HANNITY: Yes, but the strange thing is you were so gracious, even when you were saying that. I know people disagree, but you asked my opinion on a controversial issue. This is the same opinion of the people of California when they had an opportunity to vote. This is the same opinion of Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton.

PREJEAN: Right, and I think that this is definitely a test to Americans to see if tolerance is a two-way street, bottom line, this is what it comes down to.

HANNITY: In that sense, I would agree with you, that you were a victim of intolerance here.

PREJEAN: Right.

HANNITY: Do you think there was a political agenda on the part of the people?

PREJEAN: Absolutely. Absolutely. I think Keith Lewis from day one has had his own personal agenda. And it's been very hard to deal with that, and since the moment I gave my answer, he's not supported me. He actually came out with a story saying he's deeply saddened and hurt that I gave the answer that I did and reached out to Perez Hilton and apologized on my behalf. So from that moment on, Sean, this is why we're dealing with me being dethroned.

HANNITY: You know, it is kind of amazing that I think a lot of the intolerance in the country now is coming from the left. If you look at David Letterman's comments about Governor Palin, if you look at this — the Playboy magazine, you know, the comments about women and a list of conservative women.

This has not been a defining issue. You're a Christian. You're a conservative. You have social conservative values. This is not — you told us in the last interview this is not the defining issue for you in your life, is it?

PREJEAN: No, this is not — this is not — this is nothing to do with me against any particular group or — you know, this is nothing to do with meet hating gays or whatever.

I mean, this is — bottom line, I answered a question at a beauty contest. And now I am being punished. I am being dethroned because of the answer that I gave. I mean, this is what it came down to.

I'm not in breach of contract. I haven't signed any book deal or signed with any business proposal. Bottom line is, this is all happening because of the answer that I gave, Sean, and I think the majority of Americans know it.

HANNITY: Your attorney put out a statement today that this Keith Lewis from the pageant is bordering on slander and — by attacking you. Is he begging for a lawsuit? Is there — do you think there will be legal action?

PREJEAN: I'm not sure. That's definitely something that my lawyers are looking into.

HANNITY: Let me ask you another thing. You said really nice things about Donald Trump. The last time you were here you also said nice things. I'm a friend of Donald's. And I told you that the last time. You thanked him for his support. You're grateful to him. You admire and respect him. Do you think he's caught in the middle here?

PREJEAN: I absolutely do. I think that he is caught in the middle, and, he has a business to run, and he is a very brilliant man, and I respect his decision, and I know it was either me or Keith, and it came down to me going.

HANNITY: Yes.

PREJEAN: So I'll always respect Donald Trump's decision, and I admire him greatly.

HANNITY: All right. So I guess the biggest question is now, in the sense that maybe I was talking about earlier, congratulating you, what — what do you see in the future for Carrie Prejean?

PREJEAN: Well, I definitely see me speaking out and taking a stand for what I believe in, and I want to encourage Americans of all ages to not be silent. And to speak out and state your beliefs and not be afraid.

And you know you will probably face vicious attacks, but not nearly the attacks that I've had. So don't be afraid, and be encouraged to stand up for what you believe in, and don't be scared.

HANNITY: I agree with you in your answer, by the way, and if Perez Hilton wants to come on this program and say the things he said about you to me, to my face, I dare him. Let him come on the program.

PREJEAN: Well, thank you, Sean, and thank you so much for your support. You've been great.

HANNITY: All right. Carrie, best — best to you, and we'll invite you back on the program again soon. We really wish you the best, and thank you for being with us tonight. Thank you.

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