The Mrs. New Jersey United States Organization Responds to 
Press Inquiries Regarding a Former Titleholder

Dear Mrs. New Jersey United States Organization family:

Recently articles have appeared in the press regarding allegations levied against a former titleholder in our system, Hedy DiCarlo.  It is an unfortunate situation that this has occurred, and it has been exacerbated by continued media coverage.  To date, we have not weighed in on the matter as this situation has absolutely nothing to do with us directly, but the most recent article we have reviewed has begun to call the organization's reputation into question, and we cannot abide this type of mischaracterization.

Therefore, we are publishing the responses we sent to inquiries we received from the Star-Ledger so that the opinions and thoughts we have expressed in writing and via teleconference are available to you all.  We trust you will find that we endeavored to stress the benefits that our organization, its contestants, and pageants in general bring to the state, as well as the cooperative nature we continue to pursue with similar pageants throughout the state.  This is a time for all pageant contestants and systems to join together to ensure that the valuable contribution we all make through our volunteerism, donations and public service are not tarnished by negativity or competitive comparison, but rather are recognized for the benefits we all offer.

KEY POINTS FROM A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW RESPONSE TO AN ARTICLE APPEARING IN THE OCTOBER 28, 2007 ISSUE OF THE STAR-LEDGER

We believe the article published did not highlight the charity work and community service, among other notable characteristics, of the Mrs. New Jersey United States Pageant and it participants.  We are very proud of the accomplishments of our local and state titleholders, and believe that the benefits our organization brings to the people of New Jersey were not presented, which may mislead readers into believing that our pageant system does not offer these benefits when compared to other pageant systems.  We believe that both the Mrs. New Jersey United States system and the Mrs. New Jersey America system to which we were compared have tremendous positive impact on our communities.

The article stated that the Mrs. United States National Pageant was "minus the national television and celebrities." This statement is inaccurate.  The 2006 Mrs. United States Pageant was broadcast on the iTV network (formerly known as PAX TV), which is the same network that formerly aired the Mrs. America and Mrs. World telecasts.  Our understanding at this time is that the 2007 broadcast deal is in negotiation.  Also, the 2007 Mrs. United States Pageant was hosted by Todd Newton, a host for over a decade on E! Entertainment Television. The 2007 national panel of celebrity judges also included Lindsay Clubine from "Deal or No Deal," Christopher MacDonald, a well-known actor who has appeared on The Sopranos and motion pictures like American Pie and Happy Gilmore; and Lydia Cornell from "Too Close for Comfort" fame, among others.

We believe the terms "smaller, lesser-known" that were used to characterize the Mrs. United States Pageant are also not accurate.  The Mrs. United States Pageant includes delegates from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, as well as US territories and protectorates such as Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands.  The Pageant has been in existence since 1986 and over its 21 years of service, has garnered national attention with its titleholders appearing at events such as the World Travel Awards in the Turks & Caicos as well as on television programs such as Good Morning America and the Dr. Phil talk show.

The information that appeared in Mrs. DiCarlo's biography was "put out by a publicist without approval by Hedy."  This statement is inaccurate.  The information that appeared on the Mrs. New Jersey United States website was generated based on information received on the official Application and Contestant Biography forms submitted prior to the 2005 pageant competition, as well as subsequent emails received after the competition.  As part of the official entry process, each contestant is required to submit an Affidavit of Truth as well as a notarized Contestant Contract, both of which state that any information provided to the pageant is true and accurate to the contestant's best knowledge.  We rely on these official documents as the foundation for publicizing any information provided to the pageant by a contestant.

The Mrs. New Jersey United States Pageant was depicted as a "rival" of the Mrs. New Jersey America Pageant.  We believe this depiction is not representative of the cooperative nature of the relationship between the two pageants.  The two pageant systems share a desire to honor the married women of this state, and in many cases, those women have competed in both pageant systems.  For example, Mrs. NJ US 1997 was also Mrs. NJ America 2004, Mrs. NJ US 2002 was also Mrs. NJ America 2005, Mrs. NJ America 2002 was first runner-up to Mrs. NJ US 2006, and Mrs. NJ US 2004 was first runner up to Mrs. NJ America 2007.  The women who represent these organizations at the local and state level are great advocates and community champions, and the Mrs. New Jersey US Organization encourages our contestants to compete in our system and other systems as they feel it is appropriate for their goals and pursuits.  We support pageant contestants across many systems, as we believe they offer a valuable public service that is greatly needed throughout the state.  We look forward to strengthening our relationship with the Mrs. New Jersey America Pageant and other pageants of a similar nature.

FORMAL RESPONSE TO INQUIRIES RECEIVED FROM THE STAR-LEDGER
ON OCTOBER 24, 2007

Star-Ledger Question/Statement: I am working on another story related to Mrs. DiCarlo, particularly a complaint by Mrs. New Jersey America that your pageants have been confused and DiCarlo's case is tarnishing their pageant and current Mrs. New Jersey America title holder.

Mrs. NJ US Org. Statement: We find that the general public is often confused by the similar names of pageant systems, because there are numerous pageants in existence, and in this case, one news article erroneously referred to Mrs. DiCarlo in association with the wrong pageant system, compounding the problem. A case such as this can be unfortunate for pageants in general, and we are equally concerned about the tarnishing nature these types of incidents can bring to our pageant and to other similar pageants. We hope that a resolution to this case will be made expeditiously, as the continued negative coverage has been an issue for us also, as well as other pageants.

Star-Ledger Question/Statement: The Mrs. New Jersey America director contends your pageant winners, in the past, have encouraged or fostered confusion between the two pageants because the Mrs. New Jersey America pageant is more prestigious, better recognized and more widely sponsored than Mrs. New Jersey United States.

Mrs. NJ US Org. Statement: We certainly discourage any confusion between the two pageants, as we believe both pageants are extraordinary organizations that stand on their own merits, and in fact, we have referred contestants to the Mrs. New Jersey America Pageant who have contacted us in error. Both systems have a long-standing history of excellence with representation across the United States, and we have been working to foster collaborative interactions with the Mrs. New Jersey America directors, as we believe they have done with us.

The Mrs. New Jersey United States Pageant logos, regalia, and most other branding materials proudly present the words "United States" as part of our name, and we think it is equally wonderful that the Mrs. New Jersey America Pageant is interested in delineating their brand identity as well. A number of local and state contestants in the Mrs. New Jersey United States Pageant have also competed in, placed or even won the Mrs. New Jersey America title, so we are proud to continue creating a pageant environment where people feel comfortable competing in multiple systems. We have talked with the Mrs. New Jersey America directors on a number of occasions, and we have enjoyed attending each other's pageants, working together at local appearances, and celebrating our common goals of highlighting New Jersey's married women. We cherish the relationship we have established thus far, and are looking forward to strengthening that relationship in the future.

Star-Ledger Question/Statement: Has the DiCarlo arrest caused any concerns or problems for your pageant?

Mrs. NJ US Org. Statement: Of course, the nature of the case has been detrimental to our organization in terms of enrollment, perception, and time spent responding to a myriad of questions and statements. We obviously have no control over a person's actions once they have passed on the title, and we also have no idea whether or not the allegations are true. We are reading and watching the news just like everyone else to see how the case develops.

Star-Ledger Question/Statement: Are you standing behind Mrs. DiCarlo?

Mrs. NJ US Org. Statement: We have no position on the matter, as the case in which she is involved has nothing to do with us. It is an unfortunate situation, and we can only wish the best of outcomes for all involved.