Pageantry

Several Miss Universe contestants participated in the Condom Olympics on Friday in the Bahamas, which was set up by YouthAIDS to raise awareness about HIV infection ... and we're pretty sure it worked.

Miss Australia Rachael Finch is the one credited with blowing up the condom ... but you gotta watch the video to see if she had the lung strength to pop it.

Last year's Miss Universe, Venezuela's Dayana Mendoza, dropped it at the worst possible moment: When crowning the new beauty queen, Stefania Fernandez, also of Venezuela.

Heidi Montag is scheduled to perform at tonight's Miss Universe pageant in the Bahamas, but pageant production staffers are taking bets as to whether or not it will actually go down -- because she's just that bad!

Sources tells us pageant peeps are concerned that Heidi just can't pull it off. We're told "she's lip-syncing and can't remember the lyrics" (to her own song!!!), "looks like a trainwreck," and "she can't dance."

But she's got Jesus on her side, so we're sure it will turn out just fine.

UPDATE: From the mouth of Spencer -- "The allegations by certain production staffers saying that Heidi is not going to perform are 100% false. She will perform live tonight and she is an exceptional dancer."

UPDATE 2: A source at NBC, which is airing the pageant, says Heidi isn't as bad as producers were secretly hoping she'd be. We shall see ...

Max will be judging the Hooters 13th Annual International Swimsuit Pageant in Ft. Lauderdale, FL at 8 PM EST. Although we have some misgivings/fear, we're going to live stream the entire pageant.

The views of Max do no necessarily represent the views of TMZ.

Carrie Prejean says she means business. She's giving the Miss California USA team one last chance to clear her name -- or she's gonna sue.

In a letter Prejean's lawyer fired off to the lawyer representing pageant honcho Keith Lewis, the attorney says Lewis defamed her by making her seem uncooperative and difficult to deal with. He did not address Donald Trump's comment to us ... that Carrie treated people "like s**t."

The letter also accused Lewis of using Carrie to push a gay agenda.

And here's the best part ... Carrie's lawyer says Lewis had no right to release her confidential medical information -- aka, a boob job.

The letter claims Carrie has suffered "severe emotional distress." If Lewis doesn't recant his comments, Carrie's lawyer promises a lawsuit.

UPDATE: Keith Lewis gave TMZ the following statement: "Mr. Limandri obviously has never watched "THE APPRENTICE" if he believes that Mr Trump could be so easily fooled. Facts are facts and we stand by them. No matter what strong wind the General Council of NOM will blow, Our vest of truth will stay on."

Girl's got a head start on Step Two too -- keeping all those internet blogs on her side.

Carrie Prejean has threatened to sue the Miss California USA folks for defamation, we've learned. But we just obtained a letter the pageant's lawyer fired off to Carrie's lawyer, threatening to sue her for her "churlish insolent misbehavior."

The long letter details the alleged misdeeds which led to Carrie getting das boot. For starters, the pageant's lawyer says Carrie is full of it when she stated publicly she didn't ink a book deal. The letter also says Carrie had wrongfully turned down 39 pageant appearances since May 12.

And the letter claims Carrie defamed pageant honcho Keith Lewis when she said he "pressured her to appear in Playboy." Lewis says he merely passed on the offer, which he never advocated she take.

The letter says Carrie was fired because of her "intolerable misbehavior," citing "hostile communications from Carrie."

The letter threatens this: "If Carrie Prejean wants to assert in public that she was courteous, cooperative or professional in her conduct as Miss California USA, the history of her churlish insolent misbehavior can be presented."

Prejean insinuated pageant officials wanted her to pose in Playboy -- they've told us they were merely passing the offer along, per her demand.

Prejean did not address Donald Trump's statement to us ...that she treated people in the pageant like s**t and refused to participate in 30 sanctioned events.

The "biblically correct" former beauty queen was on FOX News last night (natch), where she said she respects Trump as a business man and believes he was just caught in the middle -- and she was the easiest person to get rid of.

Sure, it's kind of a cop out to not take a stance on the issue, but as she rightly put it: "It's silly ... that the world is looking to beauty queens for the answer." Just smile and wave.

FYI -- Though Prejean believes otherwise, pageant officials swear Carrie's political beliefs had nothing to do with her firing.

We just got off the phone with deposed Miss California USA Carrie Prejean -- and she says the pageant was trying to whore her out to Playboy.

Prejean claims pageant honcho Keith Lewis actually asked her last month if she would take two gigs -- appearing on "I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here!" and Playboy. Prejean says Lewis told her Playboy offered $140,000 for her to pose semi-nude. She rejected both offers.

A few minutes ago we talked to Lewis who said he was not pushing her to take either gig -- but merely passing the offers along. Lewis said Prejean had insisted they not turn anything down without running it by her.

Prejean -- who told us she was "shocked" at the news she was fired and learned about it only after we broke the story -- tells us she has been more than cooperative with pageant officials.

Prejean says, "What's behind this I think is a political debate. They don't agree with the stance that I took [on Prop 8]. Shanna [Moakler] is trying to bash me. They don't like me. From day one they wanted me out and they got what they wanted."

Prejean also told us she couldn't believe Donald Trump would say she treated people in the pageant "like s**t." For the record, Trump did tell Harvey Levin that on the phone earlier today. Prejean said if Trump really feels that way she's sorry, adding: "I've shown respect for every party involved, even when they haven't shown it back."

Prejean went on: "I was very respectful of people even when they slandered me and humiliated me. I have not once stooped down to their level."

UPDATE: We learned Carrie just received her letter of termination. She is officially out.

We've learned "biblically correct" Carrie Prejean will lose her Miss California USA crown today because she doesn't play well with others.

Sources connected with the pageant tell us even Donald Trump has now had it with Carrie, because she's violating her contract by not getting clearance to do her extracurricular stuff.

We're also told Carrie has been a no-show for appearances she was supposed to make for the pageant organization.

The firing, we're told, is strictly based on Carrie breaching her contract. It's not based on her political and moral views.

Carrie is getting her walking papers this afternoon.

The new Miss California USA will be Miss Malibu Tami Farrell.