An e-mail that ended the beauty pageant career of a Lumbee woman is at the center of a trial underway in a North Carolina court.

Rebekah Revels was only the second Indian woman in state history to win the Miss North Carolina title. That gave her the right to compete in the Miss America contest.

But it all ended when Revels' ex-boyfriend, Tosh Welch, sent an e-mail to pageant organizers saying he had topless photos of the Lumbee beauty queen. "Nude pics of Miss America bring in big bucks nowadays," the message stated, The Fayetteville Observer reported.

Revels was forced to resign her state title and had to leave the Miss America pageant. In the lawsuit, she alleges Welch, an Eastern Cherokee Band member, invaded her privacy, caused her to lose income and caused her emotional distress.

Welch's lawyer claims the e-mail was sent only to tell the truth about Revels. The couple lived together at one point in apparent violation of pageant policies.

Get the Story:
Revels testifies in privacy trial (The Fayetteville Observer 3/25)
Dethroned Miss North Carolina says she was harassed by former boyfriend (AP 3/25)

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