--- title: Who Is Sam Haskell, The Miss America CEO In Email Scandal? description: Sam Haskell made derogatory comments about past winners of his competition, including remarks on their appearance, sex lives and intelligence. canonical: https://time.com/5077244/sam-haskell-miss-america-ceo-slammed-over-emails-criticizing-contestants/ author: Billy Perrigo article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-12-22T13:46:02.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:53:49.210Z article:section: Entertainment og:title: Who Is Sam Haskell? og:description: Miss America CEO resigns over emails criticizing contestants og:url: https://time.com/5077244/sam-haskell-miss-america-ceo-slammed-over-emails-criticizing-contestants/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9b8ef4080a04a9f7/6988f6567cdbac84aad5b671/gettyimages-8445416401.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 5472 og:image:height: 3078 og:image:alt: Sam Haskell Miss America og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Who Is Sam Haskell? twitter:description: Miss America CEO resigns over emails criticizing contestants twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9b8ef4080a04a9f7/6988f6567cdbac84aad5b671/gettyimages-8445416401.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 video:duration: 00:46 video:published: 2017-12-22 section: entertainment topics: Miss America pageant, Dick Clark Productions, pageant officials emails, criticism of past winners, CEO apology, organizational scandal, media report, sponsorship ties genre: news report tones: critical, concise, factual emotions: outrage (medium), disappointment (medium), concern (low) sentiment: negative audience: entertainment news readers, pageant followers, media and business professionals, general news audience people: Sam Haskell organizations: Dick Clark Productions, Miss America, Huffington Post, Associated Press content_suitability: hate [00:06-00:16] transcript_source: automatic transcription transcript_reviewed: not applicable ---  # Who Is Sam Haskell? Miss America CEO Resigns Over Emails Criticizing Contestants > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with Ally. Ally is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: July 2026. ## Ally: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Ally is a digital financial services company offering online-only banking, including checking and savings accounts, through Ally.com and its mobile apps. Launched in 2009 as an original disruptor in financial services, Ally was built to challenge outdated banking norms with a simpler, more convenient way to bank. 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Terms and conditions apply. * Savings buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Savings Account. * No ATM fees from Ally Bank at Allpoint and Moneypass ATMs plus we reimburse for fees charged by other ATM owners nationwide up to $10 per statement cycle. * Early direct deposit offers eligible direct deposits up to two days sooner. * Spending buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Spending Account. ## Video: Dick Clark Productions Cuts Ties With Miss America Organization [Watch (HLS stream): Dick Clark Productions Cuts Ties With Miss America Organization](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/s1K5Bn69.m3u8) (0:46)  _Published 2017-12-22. Dick Clark Productions, producer of the national Miss America pageant has officially cut ties with the organization._ Description, summary, key points, chapters, key quotes, questions and transcript, where present, were produced automatically from the video or its captions and were not reviewed. ## Summary Dick Clark Productions, producer of the Miss America pageant, has cut ties with the organization following a Huffington Post report about senior pageant officials exchanging emails that criticized past winners. The report names Sam Haskell, CEO of the Miss America organization, as having exchanged harsh emails with a pageant writer and others. Dick Clark Productions called the emails appalling, and the organization's statement said the CEO apologized to the board but did not mention apologizing to the women he ridiculed. ## Key points - Dick Clark Productions, producer of the national Miss America pageant, has officially cut ties with the organization. (00:00) - A Huffington Post report said senior pageant officials exchanged emails criticizing the sex lives, appearances, and intelligence of past winners. (00:06) - According to the report, Sam Haskell, CEO of the Miss America organization, exchanged harsh emails with one of the pageant writers, along with others. (00:16) - Dick Clark Productions told the Associated Press the emails were appalling and cited them as the reason for cutting ties. (00:25) - The scandal has raised questions about the organization's future. (00:31) - Miss America released a statement saying the CEO did apologize to the board. (00:35) - The Miss America statement did not say whether the CEO apologized to the women he ridiculed in his emails. (00:40) ## Chapters - [00:00 to 00:16] Producer cuts ties after emails report. Dick Clark Productions ends its relationship with Miss America after a report on officials' emails criticizing past winners. - [00:16 to 00:31] Emails called appalling, future questioned. The CEO is named as exchanging harsh emails, the producer calls them appalling, and the organization's future is questioned. - [00:31 to 00:46] Organization's apology statement. Miss America says the CEO apologized to its board, but the statement does not address the women he criticized. ## Key quotes - [00:25] Dick Clark Productions: "the emails were appalling" - [00:35] Miss America: "their CEO did apologize to the board." - [00:40] Miss America: "the statement did not mention whether or not he apologized to the women he ridiculed in his emails." ## Questions this video answers - Why did Dick Clark Productions cut ties with the Miss America organization? [00:25] - What did the Huffington Post report say senior pageant officials were doing? [00:06] - Who is Sam Haskell and what is alleged about him? [00:16] - What does the Miss America statement say about the CEO's apology? [00:35] - What questions has the scandal raised for the organization? [00:31] ## Content suitability - hate [00:06-00:16]: Senior officials reportedly exchanged emails criticizing women's sex lives, appearances, and intelligence.  by [Billy Perrigo](https://time.com/author/billy-perrigo/)  ## Billy Perrigo Correspondent Dec 22, 2017 1:46 PM UTC  SEPT. 08: Sam Haskell speaks on stage during Miss America 2018 SEPT. 08: Sam Haskell speaks on stage during Miss America 2018 Donald Kravitz—Getty Images for Dick Clark Productions  by [Billy Perrigo](https://time.com/author/billy-perrigo/)  ## Billy Perrigo Correspondent Dec 22, 2017 1:46 PM UTC Sam Haskell, the CEO of the Miss America Organization, [made derogatory comments](http://time.com/5077065/miss-america-organization-emails/) about past winners of his competition, including remarks on their appearance, sex lives, and intelligence. The comments were made in emails from 2014 and 2015 between members of senior management of the Miss America Organization, [revealed on Thursday by the Huffington Post](http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/miss-america-ceo-emails%5Fus%5F5a3bd266e4b025f99e153fdb). The organization announced Saturday that Haskell and board chair Lynn Weidner have resigned. One target of Haskell’s was former Miss America winner Mallory Hagan, who was ridiculed for appearing to have gained weight, and slut shamed. Haskell replied to an email from a colleague asking whether he and Haskell were the only people not to have had sex with Hagan. “It appears we are the only ones!” Haskell replied, according to the Huffington Post. The Miss America Organization said Haskell had apologized to its board. Haskell was initially suspended from his post before officially resigning. > [](https://twitter.com/MissAmericaOrg/status/944659208707936257) ## Who is Sam Haskell? Haskell spent 26 years of his career at the William Morris Agency, a prominent talent agency where he rose to the rank of Executive Vice President and Worldwide Head of Television. He left in 2004, but not before managing prominent clients such as Bill Cosby. He then joined the Miss America Organization, where he has been CEO for around 12 years. However his role has only been the top job for two years. He took on the role, but not the title, of former president, Sharon Pearce, after she resigned in February 2015. In September of 2015, Haskell made a public apology on behalf of the organization for the racist treatment the first African-American winner, Vanessa Williams, had received in 1984. “I want to apologize for anything that was said or done that made you feel any less the Miss America you are and the Miss America you always will be,” Haskell told Williams, who had returned to judge the pageant. Haskell released a memoir in 2009 entitled _Promises I Made My Mother_. His [profile](http://premierespeakers.com/sam%5Fhaskell/bio) on the public speaking website, Premiere Speakers Bureau, calls the book a “deeply personal and spiritually-enriching story about living a principled life in unprincipled times.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5077244/sam-haskell-miss-america-ceo-slammed-over-emails-criticizing-contestants/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5077244/sam-haskell-miss-america-ceo-slammed-over-emails-criticizing-contestants/"},"headline":"Who Is Sam Haskell? 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