Miss Delaware Teen Embroiled in Porn Scandal (Also: Why Pageants Suck)

A pageant queen going down in flames due to scandalous circumstances? Nothing new there. It all started in 1984, of course, when Miss America Vanessa Williams —the first black winner, ever— was ousted after Penthouse sweetly published lesbionic pics from her starving actress days. And then there was Miss USA 2006 Tara Conner, whose rampant drug use and sexed-up party pics were exposed online. Tragic, but at least they were adults. Today, the New York Daily News reports that Miss Delaware Teen USA Melissa King gave up her crown after a porn video surfaced allegedly starring the 18 year-old. There's no proof it's King, but the girl does look and sound a lot like her.

There's more. Before the hardcore sex kicks off in the circa-June 2012 video, the girl reveals her favorite sex position...and then says that she turned 18 two months before (which would've been King's birthday). Off-camera, she actually mentions needing money for pageants.

The story is tragic in and of itself, the idea of a high school student desperate enough to resort to pornography. But even worse is the antiquated pageant system that holds women up to unrealistic Disney Princess/Barbie goddess standards —all tarted up in spray-tans and silicone, but creepily drained of any real sexuality or humanity— and then ruins their lives if the veneer slips. Sure, Trump let Conner keep her crown (contingent upon a stint in rehab), but her rep was ruined and the sullied blonde slid into obscurity. If it's really King in the porno, here's hoping the teen gets the help she needs. In the meantime, her runner-up, Hailey Lawler, will be rocking the Miss Delaware Teen USA crown now. Hurrah for her.

[Photos: @melissa_m_king Twitter/NYDN]