Hannah Montana Contest Winner a Fake

Posted Dec 29th 2007 11:00AM by TMZ Staff

A 6-year-old girl won four tickets to a Hannah Montana concert in New York with an essay that claimed her "daddy died this year in Iraq." Heartbreaking? Yes. True? No.

Priscilla Ceballos, the mother of the young girl, had told the company sponsoring the contest that the girl's father died April 17 in a roadside bombing in Iraq. When the spokesman asked the girl's mom if the story was true, the mother said no. God bless America.

"We never said this was a true story," Ceballos told FOX 4 in Dallas. "We do essays all the time. My daughter does essays at school all the time. It never did say it had to be true, but [the contest organizer] said, 'That's what we expected.'" Duh!

Club Libby Lu, the company behind the contest, has not yet made a decision as to whether the girl will get to keep the tickets.

UPDATE: Club Libby Lu has released the following statement on their website: "Club Libby Lu has been evaluating the situation surrounding our Hannah Montana Rock Your Holidays Essay Contest and is extremely sensitive to the fact we're dealing with a 6-year-old little girl. We wanted to take ample time to gather all the necessary facts in order to make an appropriate decision regarding whether or not we would award the Hannah Montana concert tickets and other prizes to the Ceballos family.

After awarding the grand prize, we unfortunately learned that the statements made in the essay were untrue. Club Libby Lu greatly values honesty and integrity. In order to uphold these values, we have decided to withdraw the award initially given to the Ceballos family.

Consequently, we will award the prize to another winner already identified. With this decision, we hope to revive the intended spirit of the contest, which was designed to make a little girl's holidays extra special. In order to protect the family's privacy, we have decided to not disclose the name of the new winner."

Filed under: Wacky & Weird

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46. I think they wanted a "PERSONAL ESSAY" not a LYING, DECIEVING story to tug on ur heart strings and manipulate people to feeling sorry for you, how could someone BLATANTLY LIE ABOUT THEIR FATHER DYING IN IRAQ and expect to be REWARDED FOR THIS FICTIOUS CRAP?! At 6 yrs old you teach your daughter to lie and manipulate the system to get what she wants? This family does not deserve these tickets, LYING about something that DID NOT HAPPEN should not be rewarded, this mother should be ashamed and embarassed for standing behind her story! what a sick family!

Posted at 1:02PM on Dec 29th 2007 by kiki

47. I took a look at the Libby Lu website where they promote their essay contests and the language doesn't say essays have to be 'true'. On their recent essay contest it reads: "The essay contest was developed to encourage girls to express their imaginations and individuality. V.I.P. members were asked, “What makes you and your friends unique?”"

That said, I'm sure the judges awarded the prize believing it was a true story. Technically, if the mom and daughter didn't break the contest rules, the prize can't be taken away from them. Doesn't mean it's ethical, but rules are rules & Libby Lu could be sued if they take back the tickets. "Mom" looks like the type who would do it, too.

"Mom" also has a MySpace site, if you want to look at the charmer with her (very much alive) husband and kids.

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=241698353

Posted at 1:04PM on Dec 29th 2007 by Necromancer

48. Wow. The poor little girl. She did not know what was going on, it's her mother who did this. 6 year olds can't write, and if their mother tells them to lie, they will. How horrible for the little girl.

Posted at 1:04PM on Dec 29th 2007 by Tam

49. This little girl and her mother should not get the tickets fo the concert..... And what 6yo writes essays all the time???? And she may have made everything up in her essays but it's a low down dirty shame to lie about dying in IRAQ. Especially saying your DADDY died in IRAQ..... This mother is a disgrace and a disrespect to the men and woman who are actally dying in IRAQ for her lying ass.............Ms. CEballos I hope you get whats coming to you. KARMA BABY KARMA

Posted at 1:07PM on Dec 29th 2007 by Angry honest mother

50. Typical dumbass parent of the youth of today. Teach your kid that it doesn't matter if it's right or wrong, true or false. Just do it. If you win, the end justifies the means. They should put the mother in jail. Besides that, i don't know ANY 6 year olds asked to write fiction novels. It;s obvious that this was mom's idea and mom's story.

Posted at 1:14PM on Dec 29th 2007 by Wimbas

51. Absolutely should not get the tickets. Most people understand that an essay is built on a personal experience or perception. The kid's mother should be ashamed.

Posted at 1:18PM on Dec 29th 2007 by ParisNauseatesMe

52. Miss Priscilla Ceballos; You are SICK!! Teaching your daughter to lie, aboout all things, a dead military father? I am ashamed your an American. My husband is in the military and I can assure you WE don't think its funny at all. Take the tickets away, YES, I really am sorry I even read this article. DISTURBING!!

Posted at 1:19PM on Dec 29th 2007 by Leslie Chaffin

53. Naww.. Let them go.. but make them pick up the tickets just prior to the show and be escorted in to their seats.. with a big banner in front saying "here are the liars who wom free tickets to the show" and about 3 songs into the show, have Hanna tell the story and introduce them while the spotlight stays on them for the rest of the show..also make sure all the news cameras are there to record it nd make sure that it runs on every news cast and paper for a week! shee if they ever pull this crap again

Posted at 1:22PM on Dec 29th 2007 by Steffo

54. pardon my typos.. keyboard keeps acting up and I forgot to proof-read.. again!

Posted at 1:24PM on Dec 29th 2007 by Steffo

55. Wow!! Great way to raise a child...lie to get what you want. The letter sounds more like a work of fiction, not an essay.

Posted at 1:44PM on Dec 29th 2007 by over it

56. Attention people: "Hannah Montana" is a fake. It is not a real singer, it is a made up character played by an actress. Why should the essays be real if the whole show is make believe?

Posted at 1:49PM on Dec 29th 2007 by nil

57. This mother should be hangin her head in shame! Hell no she and her daughter should not get the tickets, give the tickets to a child whose father is serving in Iraq or has died in Iraq. I feel sorry for this little girl, this bitch of a mother is teaching her daughter that the only way to get what you want is to lie and cheat instead of being honest and independent.

Posted at 1:55PM on Dec 29th 2007 by Dixie

58. First off, everyone knows that Hannah Montanna is a character. Second, the mom and child should be vilified, it was wrong and deceitful and hurtful to the thousands of children who ACTUALLY lost a parent in Iraq or Afganistan. Are you going to tell me that "Mom" didn't sit down and think, "Wow, what would be the most dramatic, heart wrenching statement my daughter could make to win these tickets?" Last, they should not receive the tickets. Even though the child is only six (are you even sure about that?) it's never too early to learn a life lesson: there are repurcussions for your actions.

I can't believe there would be any debate over this. Wrong is wrong, right is right. No truth, no tickets.

Posted at 1:58PM on Dec 29th 2007 by Sheisabadmom

59. Yes, that is what the world has come to.

Trying to cheat kids out of winning some concert tickets to see the "Hot right now UNTIL THE NEXT COMES ALONG" teenager.

How hard is it for the company to decide DISHONEST people entering the contest VOID the contest for them & give the tickets to another kid?

Posted at 2:00PM on Dec 29th 2007 by Ms Kris

60. Mothers quote "My daughter does essays at school all the time." since when do 6 yr olds do essays. what a crock can her daughter even spell essay yet. (Mother & Father ) "Lets give our daughter a good foundation ,lets teach her to lie while she is young.Then when she gets gets to the hard subjects in school we will teach her to cheat also."

Posted at 2:23PM on Dec 29th 2007 by jeansgeans

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