Former Miss USA, and current DUI defendant, Rima Fakih is picking up some crisis management tips from two of her beauty queen sisters ... one of whom is no stranger to controversy. 

Fakih was arrested back on December 3 for driving under the influence. Cops said Fakih's blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit.

Miss USA 2006 Tara Conner -- who almost lost her crown over "inappropriate behavior" and allegations of drug use -- tells us she reached out to Fakih because, "I know how horrible it feels to have the media air your dirty laundry and it is important to have a support system."

Fakih also got a call from Miss USA 1995 Shanna Moakler who says, "I told Rima the transition to life after the crown can be tough, but we’re a sisterhood and we help each other out."

Rima, Tara, and Shanna are meeting up this weekend in Las Vegas for the Miss Nevada USA pageant. To be a fly on that wall ...

An ex-Miss Teen Arkansas USA -- who was arrested last weekend for public intoxication -- is "mortified" about the situation ... and says she's "sorry if I brought any shame on my state."


A rep for the Miss USA Organization tells TMZ, it was Megan Burgess' resident assistant at her University of Arkansas dorm who called the cops on Megan for being a drunk nuisance -- and when police found her, she was sitting in the snow outside by herself.

But the Miss USA Organization isn't holding any grudge -- telling us, Megan "is a sweet girl who exemplifies the values of a Miss Teen title holder and is mortified about this."

The rep adds, "She even called over to us and said she was 'sorry if I brought any shame on my state.'"

The Miss Universe Organization just told us they've fired off a cease and desist letter to the National Organization for Marriage -- after NOM used footage from the Miss USA 2009 pageant in an anti-gay marriage commercial.

The commercial -- which is currently still playing on NOM's website -- uses Carrie Prejean's pageant response to the gay marriage question as a selling point for the ad.

This doesn't mean the MUO is taking sides on the issue -- just saying NOM can't use the copyrighted material to promote their agenda.

Story developing...

Miss USA Rachel Smith took a butt-tacular spill last night in Mexico City at the Miss Universe competition, and if you haven't seen it yet, you won't quite believe the arse-shaking thud!

What's just as amazing as the actual fall is how quickly Miss Smith gets back up and into perma-smile mode, despite the jeers and titters of the crowd.

Miss Japan won the competition, in case you were wondering.

If Tara Conner practiced what she preached, the soon-to-be-ousted Miss USA wouldn't be in Donald Trump's doghouse with her tiara in her hand.

TMZ has uncovered footage from the Q & A round of the "2006 Miss USA Pageant," where the embattled beauty queen slammed the Britneys and Parises of the world for their risque behavior!

When asked if today's pop superstars were positive role models for young people, Conner replied, "I think that they're getting a little bit too much edgy [sic] I think that they are a little bit too risque ... I think they need to tone it down a little bit."

Hey, it sounded good at the time.