"I'm very happy about this decision, and I look forward to resuming my agenda as Miss New Jersey," said a smiling Polumbo, who blew kisses to audience members during the announcement.
Polumbo and Miss New Jersey officials had refused to disclose the content of the photos. But yesterday morning, Polumbo ended the mystery by releasing them on NBC's Today.
"I feel sick to my stomach. I really do," she said before showing photos that she had wanted to keep private, but acknowledged having posted on her Facebook site. Mark Soifer, a member of the local pageant board, said her forthrightness in releasing the photos was a factor in the decision to let her keep her crown.
The pictures include one showing what Polumbo said was her boyfriend apparently biting her breast through her shirt, one of Polumbo in a limousine wearing jeans with her legs spread in the air, and one of her in what appears to be a Halloween costume dress holding two small pumpkins up to her breasts.
"It's not in a ladylike manner. But I'm not a robot. I'm a human being," Polumbo said, in her second appearance on Today this week. She also noted that she is a theater major at college.
While she conceded that the photos were embarrassing, she also described at least one as "playful."
The content of other photographs shown included Polumbo vamping, fully clothed, for the camera and her drinking an alcoholic beverage. She said that picture was taken last year and she was of legal age to drink.
"I want to end this," Polumbo said, explaining why she was showing the photos. She also said other photos were surfacing that were being wrongly identified as being of her.
Last week, the 22-year-old Howell Township woman held a news conference and announced that someone was anonymously threatening to go public with personal photos of her if she didn't step down as Miss New Jersey by last Friday.
