Could a sex tape have sunk Carrie Prejean‘s lawsuit against Miss California USA? If this report is true, we’re laughing really hard on the inside right now.

Former Miss California USA Carrie Prejean infamously launched herself into the national spotlight by declaring marriage should only “be between a man and a woman” at the Miss USA 2009 pageant. The statement caused mass outrage from gay rights activists and garnered heady support from conservative anti-gay marriage advocates. More controversy stirred when a partially nude modeling photographs of Prejean appeared on a tabloid site. Prejean later said she “regretted” taking the photos and blamed it on being “naive, and young.”

Back in June, the Miss California USA dropped Carrie Prejean citing “continued breach of contract issues” – claiming she failed to show up for events and speaking at events she was not approved to attend. Prejean slapped back with a lawsuit alleging they had ditched her over her religious beliefs. Miss California USA fired back with a lawsuit of their own.

The mutual lawsuits were eventually settled, with Miss USA California agreeing to pay $100,000 for Prejean’s legal fees and allowing her to publish her new book without interference. But Carrie Prejean herself got not a dime. Why is that?

Well, TMZ.com claims they have the answer. According to the tabloid site, a lawyer for the opposing side allegedly got hold of a sex tape featuring the former pageant winner and told her she’d better shut up and settle. Even better, TMZ claims they have actually seen the tape and it does exist.

So you push yourself as the American representation of core family values… and yet you parade around half-naked for photographers and let yourself end up as the star of a sex tape. The irony is just too much.

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