Shannon Marketic

Shannon LaRhea Marketic (born January 14, 1971), is an American actress and beauty pageant titleholder who was Miss California USA and Miss USA 1992.[1]

Shannon Marketic
Born
Shannon LaRhea Marketic

(1971-01-14) January 14, 1971
Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
TitleMiss California USA 1992
Miss USA 1992
Beauty pageant titleholder
Major
competition(s)		Miss California USA 1992
(Winner)
Miss USA 1992
(Winner)
Miss Universe 1992
(Top 10)

Biography

Pageants

Marketic was crowned Miss Arizona Teen USA 1989 but held the title for only a week and a half after it was discovered an error had been made and she had actually placed first runner-up.[2][3]

A few years later, Marketic won the Miss California USA 1992 title, and went on to represent California in the Miss USA 1992 pageant, which was broadcast live from Wichita, Kansas in February of that year. She placed second in semifinal interview, sixth in swimsuit and evening gown, which allowed her to advance as one of the Top 6 finalists of the competition with the third highest semi-finals average score.[4] After answering the judges' questions, she went into the final 3 in second place, eventually winning the Miss Photogenic award and the Miss USA title.

Marketic went on to compete in the 1992 Miss Universe pageant held in Bangkok, Thailand on May 8 and was one of 10 semifinalists who competed for the title. She eventually placed 8th overall.

Sultan of Brunei incident

In 1997 Marketic sued Jefri Bolkiah, Prince of Brunei, claiming that she and other women were hired for promotional work but instead held as a "virtual prisoner", drugged and sexually abused.[5][6][7][8] The Sultan denied the claims.[7] Marketic's lawsuit named Miss USA 1997 Brandi Sherwood as also being a victim, however Sherwood declined to file her own lawsuit.[9] After 18 months of litigation, a judge dismissed the suit on the grounds that the Sultan had sovereign immunity as head of state.[10]

References
  1. "California Student Crowned Miss USA". New Straits Times. 10 February 1992.
  2. "Miss USA '92 recalls title she won, then lost". The Kansas City Star. 1992-02-09. p. A6. Retrieved 2007-02-23.
  3. "New Miss USA once gave up teen state title". The Victoria Advocate. 9 February 1992.
  4. "New Miss USA displays sense of humour". Lawrence Journal. 10 February 1992.
  5. "Former Miss USA sues Sultan of Brunei over sex". The Nation. 9 March 1997.
  6. "Former Miss USA wants court to have jurisdiction over Brunei prince". Gadsden Times. 17 December 1997.
  7. "Sultan denies he kept girl as slave". The Free Lance-Star. 5 March 1997.
  8. "Media frenzy follows suit of ex-Miss USA". The Nation. 6 March 1997.
  9. "Miss USA won't sue Sultan of Brunei". Moscow-Pullman Daily News. 4 June 1997.
  10. Graves, David (19 March 1998). "Of Sultans and Swinging". The Age.
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