Former Miss Delaware Amanda Longacre isn't stepping down without a fight.
During an interview on NBC's "Today" show, the 24-year-old pageant contestant revealed that she will fight to get her title back after being stripped from it earlier this month for being too old. Longacre told "Today" co-host Savannah Guthrie that she even plans to sue the Miss America Organization if she doesn't get her title back.
"I won the title of Miss Delaware," Longacre told Guthrie on Monday. "I am Miss Delaware, and I was nothing but honest from the beginning. I did not know that rule [about age] at all, and they reiterated to me since the beginning that I was eligible to compete. I asked from the beginning, 'Am I eligible?' They asked for my contract. I gave them my birth certificate. I gave them everything."
She continued: "This is about the title of Miss Delaware that I rightfully won. I want to represent the people of Delaware. I want to be a social worker. This was a great start to a fabulous career for me and it's still going to be a fabulous career for me."
The Miss America Organization website stated that contestants must be 17 to 24 years old - and Longacre will turn 25 in October, a month after the Miss America competition. Longacre claims she was never informed of the age rule while competing.
"Following the Miss Delaware Pageant, it was determined that Amanda Longacre exceeded the age requirement in order to be eligible to compete. Therefore, the Miss Delaware 2014 title is awarded to Brittany Lewis," the Miss America Organization stated. "The Miss Delaware Pageant is proud to congratulate Brittany and wishes Amanda the very best on her future endeavors."
Longacre was allowed to keep her $9,000 scholarship award, but her title was handed over to first runner-up, 24-year-old Brittany Lewis.
In a separate statement Mark Billion, Longacre's lawyer, said, "What we want to see is to have Amanda compete in Miss America and serve as Miss Delaware, and in our mind that's what's fair. And if we have to sue to do it we will, but our goal here is that she be allowed to enjoy the title that she's earned."
Does Longacre deserve her title back?
