Former Miss America winners said the pageant had strict rules against men, and even a contestant's father couldn't visit their hotel room
Mallory Hagan (center) at the Miss America 2013 pageant.
- Miss America 2013 Mallory Hagan said she had to follow strict rules against men during her reign.
- Hagan said no men were allowed in her hotel room during her reign — even her own father.
- Miss America 2018 Savvy Shields Wolfe said she couldn't share that she had a boyfriend.
Former Miss America Mallory Hagan said the organization had strict rules against men during her reign.
Hagan is among the past winners featured in the A&E docuseries "Secrets of Miss America," which premieres on Monday. The show explores how the Miss America Organization unraveled under Sam Haskell, who was CEO for more than a decade. Haskell stepped down in December 2017 after vulgar and offensive internal emails in which he derided a number of Miss America winners were leaked to the press.
The first episode details what happened at the organization while Haskell was in charge, including his "anti-boyfriend" policies.
"Behind the scenes, there were rules like, no men are allowed in your hotel room, including your father," said Hagan, who won Miss America in 2013.
Associated Press/Isaac Brekken
Miss America 2018 Savvy Shields Wolfe said in the docuseries that she wasn't allowed to share that she had a boyfriend.
"It was made clear that Sam was in charge and what he said went, and boyfriends were not allowed to exist when you're Miss America," she added.
Miss America 2016 Betty Maxwell also said she once got in trouble with Haskell when someone at the organization saw her friend's boyfriend drop off Taco Bell where she was staying.
"They're very, very, very anti-boyfriend because they want you to look like you're America's sweetheart," Maxwell said. "They're trying to be feminist and 'Me Too' and all these things, and at the same time, they're not thinking every young 20-something is dating someone? Come on."
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Married women and mothers currently can't compete at Miss America, a rule that Miss America 2023 Grace Stanke and Miss America 2020 Camille Schrier have both defended in past interviews with Insider.
But this year will be the first that married women and mothers can compete in Miss USA and Miss Universe, which changed its rule in August 2022. Miss Maine 2023 Juliana Morehouse will be the first married woman in history to compete at Miss USA.
The first episode of "Secrets of Miss America" also details Hagan's personal history with Haskell after she began publicly dating Brent Adams — who worked as Miss America's vice president of marketing — following her reign.
Adams said in the docuseries that Haskell wanted him to date his daughter Mary Lane instead of Hagan and he threatened to fire him multiple times if he didn't end the relationship. He previously told The Huffington Post that Haskell told him, "You don't need a piece of trash like Mallory, you need someone with class and money like my daughter," and once accidentally sent a text message to a group chat suggesting his daughter try to hold Adams' hand.
Adams said in the docuseries that when he refused to end the relationship, Haskell began targeting Hagan's reputation and career ambitions.
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"I noticed Sam started talking pretty bad about her in some meetings," Adams said in the A&E docuseries. "I was sitting in the office at ABC in LA with high-level network executives and Sam was talking about her trying to hook up with Chris Harrison."
In December 2017, Adams leaked Haskell's emails to The Huffington Post. In one email, the CEO claimed that Hagan had slept with more than 25 men. In others, he frequently made fun of her weight.
Days after the emails were published, Haskell resigned from the organization, as did Miss America Organization president Josh Randle and chairwoman Lynn Weidner.
In a statement included in the documentary, Haskell said that much of what was reported is "dishonest, deceptive, and despicable" and "based on private emails that were stolen by ex-employees"
"Those who know my heart know that this is not indicative of my character, nor is it indicative of my business acumen," he added. "I had the utmost respect for the women of this program and contestants at every level."
Representatives for Haskell and the Miss America Organization did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
"Secrets of Miss America" premieres Monday, July 10 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on A&E. New episodes air Mondays at 10 p.m. ET/PT.