Miss Universe Contestants Go Topless

Topless photos of a few Miss Universe contestants have emerged...but these are no secret. Like the Miss USA pageant before it, the Miss Universe pageant itself released the racy pictures of the ladies covered in body paint and little else. One female VP justifies it by calling the women "the full package," but a publicist who has worked with Miss USA contestants insists, "By bringing nudity into the equation, it no longer becomes a package of 'beauty and brains.'"

Miss USA (and one-time "best stripper") Rima Fakih participated in the photo shoot, and tells ABC News the photographer was just trying something new. "Nothing looked disrespectful," she says. "In my opinion this shows your beauty and does so in a way that's very artistic." Miss Albania Angela Martini agrees, adding, "I feel like we've broken the line now, and every year we can go a bit further." So get ready for next year's photo scandal...this time sans body paint? Click here to see some of the photos.
(More Miss Universe stories.)