Former Miss Arizona claims Trump walked in on topless, naked pageant contestants
Oct 12, 2016, 12:45 PM
(AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)
PHOENIX — A former Miss Arizona has claimed Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump walked into a room where she and other contestants were in various states of undress with no warning.
Tasha Dixon competed in the Miss USA pageant in 2001. She told CBS Los Angeles that Trump, who owns the Miss USA pageant, first met that year’s contestants when they were changing into their bikinis.
“Our first introduction to him was when we were at the dress rehearsal and half naked changing into our bikinis,” Dixon recalled. “He just came strolling right in. There was no second to put a robe on or any sort of clothing or anything. Some girls were topless. Other girls were naked.”
Dixon said the contestants were urged to greet Trump — who also owns the Miss Universe and Miss Teen USA pageants — even if they were naked.
Trump appeared to confirm similar actions during an interview with Howard Stern in 2005. He said he goes backstage to inspect how things are going and checks on the contestants.
“You know they’re standing there with no clothes,” Trump said to Stern. “Is everybody OK? And you see these incredible looking women. And so I sort of get away with things like that.”
Dixon said she feels Trump wants to own the pageants so he can be surrounded by beautiful women.
“Who do you complain to? He owns the pageant,” she told the outlet. “There’s no one to complain to. Everyone there works for him.”
Several other contestants declined CBS Los Angeles’ request for an interview, but former Miss California Carrie Prejean Boller called Dixon’s account “the most disgusting accusation so far” in a statement.
Dixon said she decided to tell her story after hearing a tape released Friday by the Washington Post in which Trump makes sexually aggressive comments about women. However, she said her decision was not politically motivated.