Model Sheena Monnin Must Pay Donald Trump $5 Million for Defamation
Former Miss Pennsylvania Sheena Monnin has been ordered to pay Donald Trump $5 million for defamation despite her pleas that doing so would "financially devastate" her.
In December the Real estate mogul won a defamation lawsuit against Monnin, who refused to retract statements she made about the Miss USA pageant being rigged for allegedly predetermining its winners. On Tuesday Federal Judge J. Paul Oetken upheld an arbitrator's decision suggesting that Monnin failed to take the case seriously, according to the New York Post.
"The court does not take lightly that Monnin is compelled to pay . . . a devastating monetary award...[Monnin] should have initially engaged in mediation and, later, remained diligent over the course of the [arbitration] process, it is clear . . . she was woefully unaware of both the consequences of her disengagement and the severity of the allegations" against her," Oetken wrote in a court order obtained by the Post.
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Monnin, who had resigned from the 2012 pageant over the debacle, was previously given 24 hours by Trump to retract her statement that the pageant is "fraudulent, lacking in morals, inconsistent, and in many ways trashy," however she chose instead to stand by her claims.
In court the model claimed that there was misconduct by an arbitrator and also claimed that she was not given sufficient notice of the court hearings. In response Oetken blamed Monnin for her "poor choice of counsel," who he claims "presented no evidence on her behalf over the course of several months."
Trump, who owns the Miss Universe Pageant organization, previously explained his decision to sue Monnin. He also expressed his delight in the court's ruling.
"We cannot allow a disgruntled contestant to make false and reckless statements which are damaging to the many people who have devoted their hearts and souls to the Miss Universe, Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageant systems," Trump stated to TMZ.com.
"While I feel very badly for Sheena, she did the wrong thing. She was really nasty, and we had no choice. It is an expensive lesson for her," he added.
