The Maine Lobster Festival crowned Taylor Hamlin the Maine Sea Goddess last week. And then 24 hours later, they stripped her of the prestigious title. Officials from the annual competition discovered two photos of Taylor on social media that they deemed “inappropriate,” according to People magazine.

One of the pictures found on her private Instagram page showed her with a marijuana cigarette. The other showed her holding a vape pen. Taylor told People the picture with the vape pen was taken after she was 18...making it perfectly legal. However, using marijuana...be it recreational of for medical reasons is only legal in Maine for people over 21. That photo was was taken last year when she was underage.

She isn’t certain how the festival officials discovered the pictures since the account was private. She told People it had to be one of her friends or their parents. The Maine Lobster Festival made this statement on their Facebook page...

But according to the article in People, Taylor says she was forced out. She claims officials offered her the chance to be the Maine Sea Goddess for the week long celebration, then quietly resign her crown. At a second meeting, that option was allegedly off the table. She tells People she was asked to sign a document that implied it was her choice to resign, but when she asked them to change the verbiage, officials allegedly refused.

People claims Lobster Festival officials tried to make amends by allowing her to keep $2,000 of scholarship prize money. The only condition was stay quiet. Taylor told People her mother refused to stay quiet. She says her mom said, "No, we’re not staying quiet. We’re going to take the $2,000 and we’re going to be loud about this.”

Taylor has since posted this on her Facebook page...

People says Taylor is headed to the University of Maine this fall to study business.

 

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