TV partner cuts ties as leaked Miss America emails reveal CEO joked about former winners as the c-word, slut-shamed them and mocked them for being fat
Dick Clark Productions says it has cut ties with the Miss America Organization over internal emails by pageant senior leadership that ridiculed past winners' appearance, intelligence and sex lives.
The Huffington Post reported Thursday that the Miss America Organization's CEO, Sam Haskell, regularly exchanged expletive-laden emails in which he or others slut-shamed and name-called the young women.
In the emails Haskell frequently used shocking and sexually-charged terms to refer to contestants, including 2013 winner Mallory Hagan and Gretchen Carlson, the former Fox News host who won the pageant in 1989.
The 62-year-old executive's harshly worded correspondences at times took on the entire pageant community.
Dick Clark Productions says it has cut ties with the Miss America Organization after CEO Sam Haskell (pictured, September 2017) exchanged emails with pageant leadership that ridiculed past winners' appearance, intelligence and sex lives
In the emails Haskell frequently used shocking and sexually-charged terms to refer to contestants, including 2013 winner Mallory Hagan (left) and Gretchen Carlson (right), the ex-Fox News anchor who won the pageant in 1989
In an August 2014 email to a prominent Miss America telecast writer, Haskell said that he wanted to stop calling former contestants 'Forever Miss Americas' and instead refer to them as 'Former Miss Americas.'
'I'd already changed "Forevers!" to "c***s". Does that work for you?' the writer, Lewis Friedman, responded.
Haskell replied: 'Perfect… bahahaha.'
The comments are in stark contrast to the glowing, supportive statements Haskell repeatedly made in public about past title winners.
In the summer of 2014, Haskell forwarded an email to Friedman and two other executives from someone he knew who had commented about Mallory Hagan's sex life and recent weight gain.
'Not a single day passes that I am not told some horrible story about Mallory,' Haskell wrote.
Friedman replied: 'As she continue to destroy her own credibility, her voice will attract less and less notice while she continues her descent to an unhappy pathetic footnote…Ps. Are we four the only ones not to have f****d Mallory?'
'It appears we are the only ones!' Haskell wrote, adding that he told the mother of a man Hagan had supposedly slept with that 'he needs to have a blood test because we lost count of the number of men she slept with at 25.'
Later, Hagan was publicly fat-shamed for a bikini photo that surfaced showing that she had gained some weight after the pageant. Haskell said nothing publicly about the images at the time but fat-shamed her internally.
In the summer of 2014, Haskell wrote in an email that he and another executive were the only ones who hadn't slept with Mallory Hagan (pictured, March 2013)
Another incident involved former Fox News host Gretchen Carslon. In August 2014, Miss American board member Lynn Weidner sent an email to a group of former Miss Americas, including Carlson.
The email concerned a book 1998 Miss American winner Kate Shindle wrote in which she questioned the Miss America board’s decision to pay Haskell a $500,000 consulting fee.
Weidner asked: 'Is it possible for each of you to speak out in defense of Sam and the organization?”
Carlson replied: 'It’s one thing to talk about your own personal experience as Miss America... but totally different to attack people individually.'
Haskell forwarded Carlson’s response to board member Tammy Haddad, who replied to Haskell: 'Snake but now u have not doubts as to her loyalty. Makes it easy not to respond. Right?'
Just before Shindle’s book came out, Haddad emailed Haskell and referenced an email former Miss America Susan Powell wrote that was supportive of Haskell.
Miss America board members Tammy Haddad (left) and Lynn Weidner (right) were the recipients and senders of some of the emails exchanged with Haskell
In 2014, the 1998 winner Kate Shindle (pictured) wrote a book in which she questioned the Miss America board’s decision to pay Haskell a $500,000 consulting fee. In an email to Haskell giving his condolences on a past winner's death, telewriter Lewis Friedman wrote as the email subject: 'It should have been Kate Shindle'
Haddad suggested: 'Why don’t u read [former Miss America] susan POWELL’s email on the board call and say it’s a shame that only one miss america who has come forward to offer help in any way.' Haddad was referring to an email Powell had written that was supportive of Haskell.
Haskell replied: 'Brilliant…..f*****g Brilliant!!!! That will drive Gretchen INF*****GSANE.'
In a further attack on Shinldle, Friedman emailed Haskell in December 2014 to offer his condolences on the death of former Miss America Mary Ann Mobley, writing: 'So sorry to hear about Mary Ann Mobley.'
The subject line of Friedman’s email read: 'It should have been Kate Shindle.'
Haskell told the AP he would respond on Friday; the Miss America Organization says he has apologized to the board.
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