America's Next Top Model Contestant Lost The Grand Prize Because She Was An Escort

Angelea Preston says the producers were told before she taped the finale of the All-Star season in 2011. According to a lawsuit she's filing ... Preston told producers, confidentially, prior to filming the season she had been an escort for about a year and that spread like wildfire to the rest of the cast and crew.

After the finale was taped -- and Preston had won the grand prize -- she says a casting director called and grilled her about the whole escort business. In the suit, Preston says she admitted it, but insists she was a legal escort and not a prostitute. Despite this, Preston was told she had violated her contract and could not be the winner.

Preston says her pay-for-play days were well behind her when she shot the All-Star season, so therefore she did NOT break the contract. She says losing the title cost her a bunch of Vogue spreads, and a $100,000 CoverGirl deal.

She's suing producers, networks, and studios for breach of contract and says she suffered at least $3 million in damages.

SOURCE: TMZ