Conner's stormy Miss USA reign to end soon

BURBANK, Calif., March 16 (UPI) -- Miss USA Tara Conner said in a Burbank, Calif., interview she has confronted and forgiven her childhood abuser and reached her 90-day sobriety mark.

Conner also has six tattoos -- one inked during her reign -- and the pageant staff has learned to accept them and her, she told "Access Hollywood" in an interview to air Monday.

Conner, who hinted of childhood abuse in earlier interviews, said she met her abuser face to face and now feels "1 million times better. You have to forgive people for what they have done in order for yourself to be forgiven."

Given a second chance to mend her hard-partying ways, Conner entered a rehab facility in December. She said she cried when she passed 90 days of sobriety, and was eager for her 1-year anniversary.

Regarding her tattoos, Conner said pageant officials were dismayed, telling her, "You can't do that to your image because it's an image thing."

When she crowns the new Miss USA on March 23, Conner said she won't hide the body art as she did when she was a contestant.

She said her relationship with pageant officials has improved so much that "it is like this huge family."