LOS ANGELES , California ( CNN ) -- Carrie Prejean has been dethroned as Miss California USA for `` contract violations , '' including missing scheduled pageant events , according to a state pageant official . Donald Trump poses with Carrie Prejean in May . Prejean was removed as Miss California USA on Wednesday . Prejean , 22 , retained her title last month despite a controversy over topless photos , missed appearances and her statements against same-sex marriage . Miss USA pageant owner Donald Trump decided to fire Prejean a month after he gave her a second chance . `` Carrie is a beautiful young woman , and I wish her well as she pursues her other interests , '' Trump said . Runner-up Tami Farrell , who was Miss Malibu , will immediately assume the Miss California USA title , state pageant Executive Director Keith Lewis said . `` This was a decision based solely on contract violations , including Ms. Prejean 's unwillingness to make appearances on behalf of the Miss California USA organization , '' he said . Watch the new Miss California talk about the developments » . Lewis told CNN 's Larry King on Wednesday that it was n't one thing Prejean did , but `` many , many , many things . '' `` She came to us and said , ' I 'm not interested in your input ; I 'll make my own decision what I 'm going to do , ' `` Lewis said . `` You know , when you have a contract , when you 're working for someone , you have a responsibility to follow through on what that requirement is . '' Lewis told King it was clear `` she was not interesting in upholding the title or the responsibilities . '' Trump brought Prejean and Lewis together in New York for a meeting last month , after which he announced that communications between the beauty queen and pageant officials had been repaired . `` I told Carrie she needed to get back to work and honor her contract with the Miss California USA organization , and I gave her the opportunity to do so , '' Trump said . `` Unfortunately , it just does n't look like it is going to happen , and I offered Keith my full support in making this decision . '' Charles Limandri , Prejean 's lawyer , said she learned about the decision Wednesday morning in a phone call from Trump 's office . `` This is all kind of a big shock , '' Limandri said . `` We 've been working with Mr. Trump 's office . She 's been doing all the speaking engagements she 's been asked to do . It is not true that she has not been cooperating . '' No one from the pageant organization ever warned Prejean she was not doing what they wanted , he said . `` Something is going on , '' he said . `` Truth is not being told . I do n't understand where this is coming from , or why . '' `` For people to say that she breached her contract , that she is not doing speaking engagements is false , '' he said . `` She did one last Sunday in Las Vegas and it went really well . '' Prejean stepped into controversy at the Miss USA pageant in April when she declared her opposition to same-sex marriage in a response to a question asked during the national pageant by Perez Hilton , a pageant judge . Prejean finished as first runner-up , but it was not clear if her answer cost her the crown . During a radio interview Wednesday with Billy Bush , who also was host of the pageant , Prejean said it was that controversy that led to her losing her title , not contract issues . `` It 's just because of my answer , I think , '' Prejean told Bush . `` None of this would be happening right now if I just said yeah , gays should get married , you 're right Perez Hilton . '' Wednesday night on Larry King , Bush asked the new Miss California USA the question that sparked controversy for Prejean . Bush asked Tami Farrell whether in light of several states allowing gay marriage she thought other states should do the same . `` I think it 's a personal decision and a civil rights issue , '' Farrell said . `` It 's something we should let each state decide . '' In addition to Prejean 's gay marriage answer , controversy boiled to a new level in early May when seminude photos of Prejean appeared on gossip Web sites . Miss California USA officials -- some of them outspoken advocates of same-sex marriage -- suggested the photos breached the contract Prejean signed with the pageant . These officials also complained they could n't reach Prejean and she had missed important pageant events . The controversy seemed over when Trump declared the pictures not to be too racy and Prejean promised to do better in communicating with the state pageant . Hilton , the judge who asked the same-sex question during the pageant , cheered Prejean 's firing . `` Better late than never , '' Hilton said . Shanna Moakler , a former Miss USA who resigned as co-executive director of the California pageant when Trump did not dismiss Prejean last month , welcomed Wednesday 's decision . `` First and foremost , my faith has been restored in the Miss Universe organization and with Donald Trump , '' Moakler said . `` I believed eventually what I intimately knew would come to fruition . ''
NEW : Prejean tells Perez Hilton she thinks gay marriage answer was reason for firing . Carrie Better late than never , '' Billy Bush says of Billy Bush firing . Prejean was Miss California USA , controversial due to statements , topless photos . Runner-up Tami Farrell will take over as CNN .