Miss Teen USA 2009 Stormi Henley said last night the recently released photos showing scantily clad Miss USA contestants are "tasteful" and that crown-seekers "can be as sexy" as they want to be.
“[The pictures] are all gorgeous and tasteful," the 19-year-old bombshell told Niteside last night during the Project Sunshine Seventh Annual United We Shine gala at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in Manhattan.
"I knew the theme ahead of time and I fully expected something different but they still came out awesome. … I love them.”
About the criticism of the photos, she added, “It's pretty harsh, the stuff that they're saying.”
Henley said the photos may serve as a means of differentiating the Miss USA competition from the Miss America pageant.
“Miss USA is moving ahead a little bit faster in the pageant world,” she said. “It's more like a fashion show. They have a sexier image and those pictures fit in perfectly."
“I think if you're a Miss, you can be as sexy as you want.”
