Raquel Beezley Suckered Us

Raquel Beezley was crowned Miss California USA at the Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles after Christina Silva was stripped of the title. Beezley was originally named second runner-up, but will now represent California at the Miss USA pageant next April due to a counting error with the ballots.

According to Keith Lewis, the pageant’s state director, the following day, ballots were recounted after several judges questioned the results. Lewis contends, “It was a simple human error.” The mix-up occurred when the points were reversed, with the lowest point given to the winner and the highest to the fourth runner-up, Lewis said. This explains why first runner-up, Brandi Williams, was not awarded the crown.

Silva is not going away quietly as she has hired an attorney and is weighing legal options.

    “They never could explain their accounting error, but told me that if I didn’t give up my crown to Miss Barstow, my personal integrity could be questioned, and my career could potentially suffer.”