Miss US, out of rehab, admits cocaine use

LOS ANGELES, Feb 1 (Reuters) Miss US Tara Conner, who hung on to her title last month by going into rehab after reports of underage drinking, admitted to using cocaine.

Conner told NBCs ''Today'' show it was a relief to talk about her drug use which had been rumored when she hit New York's nightclubs for several weeks last winter.

''I have done cocaine, yeah,'' Conner told interviewer Matt Lauer in her first interview since completing 31 days in rehab yesterday.

''Luckily the great thing about getting everything out and being completely open and honest about things, it frees me from it. So the more I get it off my chest, the better I feel about myself,'' she said.

Conner, now 21, agreed to go into rehab in December at a tearful news conference after real estate mogul Donald Trump, owner of the Miss US beauty pageant, agreed to give the Kentucky blonde a second chance.

Lauer also said that in their interview, Conner said she would not pose nude in Playboy magazine as some reporters have suggested. The full interview will be aired on Saturday on ''Dateline NBC.'', A spokeswoman for the Miss US organisation confirmed Conner would not strip for the magazine.

''There was as a conversation between with Mr Trump and Playboy, but this is not something that Tara wants to do at this point in time. She feels it is inappropriate,'' the spokeswoman said.

She declined to comment on Conner's drug use, saying it was up to her what she wished to disclose about her treatment.

She said Conner had moved to a new apartment in New York since leaving rehab and now has a ''chaperone.'' ''Traditionally the girls have always had someone who lives in the apartment with them,' the spokeswoman said.

Reuters SBA VP0430