It's been a pretty dismal fairy tale for the reigning Miss Colorado USA Blair Griffith.
The 23-year-old and her mother were evicted from their home last November -- a month after winning the pageant -- and have been homeless since, Colorado's 9News reports. They're staying with a family friend after a series of setbacks, including her mother's heart attack and major surgery that caused financial troubles.
What's more, Griffith, a magna cum laude graduate of the Art Institute of Colorado, will be out of a job next month. She works at Saks Fifth Avenue, and her store is closing. Still, she keeps herself collected.
"I hope people will see this and realize, 'Wow, she is a real person,' or 'Hey, I didn't think there was someone out there going through something similar to me," said Griffith.It was her father who encouraged Griffith to take a shot at beauty pageants when she was younger. His early death from pancreatic cancer encouraged her to enter the Miss Colorado Teen USA. After much persistence, she paved the road for her future success by winning on her fourth try.
Griffith plans to compete in the Miss USA competition in June.