Rima Fakih Stripper 101

New Miss USA Once Won Pole Dancing Contest

The triumphant walk for the new Miss USA took her straight into controversy as a Muslim woman who flaunts her beauty, and who once flaunted it so well she won a stripper contest.

Rima Fakih, 24, won the title as the country's most beautiful woman Sunday night in Las Vegas.

Shortly after the release of pictures showing Fakih cradling a dozen roses across her strapless white dress while balancing a shimmering tiara on her head, came photos of Fakih in red short shorts, a tiny tank top and towering stilettos while balancing against a pole.


Fakih won the "Stripper 101" contest which was sponsored by a Detroit radio show Mojo in the Morning in 2007.

TMZ reports that the beauty queen was arrested in Highland Park, Michigan on Saturday for suspicion of drunk driving. Fakih tried to deny the incident initially, tweeting on Saturday, "Let's clear things up now.... I'm NOT in Michigan and I'm NOT in jail! Wrong Fakih."

But Doraid Elder, her attorney, told the Detroit Free Press, "Unfortunately she was." The tweet has since disappeared and Elder commented that Fakih is "very saddened and very apologetic for the situation that she is in right now."