In late 2006, Conner became the center of a public scandal after she was caught drinking underage, using cocaine, and kissing Miss Teen USA Katie Blair at a New York nightclub.

[4] Conner graduated from Russell County High School in 2004, and at the time of her Miss USA win was studying for a degree in business administration from Somerset Community College.

In August 2002, she went on to compete in the Miss Teen USA pageant held in South Padre Island, Texas.

Conner represented Kentucky during the nationally televised Miss USA 2006 pageant in Baltimore, Maryland, on April 21, 2006.

[11] On April 29, 2006, Conner returned to pageant host city Baltimore to make appearances connected with the Volvo Ocean Race, sailing on board the yacht Black Pearl.

[12] and then returned to New York, appearing with Miss Universe 2005 Natalie Glebova of Canada at the Invest in Our World Benefit on May 3, 2006.

[11] In September 2006, Conner traveled to Boston, Massachusetts to promote the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Race for the Cure, as her predecessor Chelsea Cooley had done the year previously.

[16] She then travelled to Colorado to support the Cheryl Shackelford Foundation[17] and to Pennsylvania to attend an event hosted by the USO of Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey.

After attending the Miss Kentucky USA 2007 pageant and crowning Michelle Banzer as successor to her state title, she and Rivera traveled to Cannes, France, and Italy, where they made promotional appearances.

[18] Following her time in a rehabilitation center in Pennsylvania during December and January, Conner returned to the public stage in February and was interviewed by a number of news outlets.

On December 14, 2006, controversy erupted when TMZ.com published an article stating that Conner might be dethroned as Miss USA for her behavior in several New York City bars.

The edition of December 16, 2006, of the New York Daily News reported Conner had tested positive for cocaine, had kissed Miss Teen USA Katie Blair in public, and had sneaked men into their Trump Place apartment.

"[21] According to Fox News, citing local New York newspapers, Conner "moved out of her apartment in one of Trump's luxury buildings on Manhattan's Upper West Side" sometime during the week of December 11, 2006.

[23] During the press conference Conner declined to comment on allegations of illicit drug use and claimed she was not an alcoholic but acknowledged making serious mistakes.

After coming out of rehab less than two months later in February 2007, Conner admitted in an interview with Matt Lauer that she had abused cocaine and anti-depressants.

Conner currently serves as a Public Advocacy Consultant for Caron Treatment Centers, sharing her journey of recovery with others and being an advocate for those whose lives have been impacted by addiction.

[28] She visited Syosset High School on June 6, 2013, to talk to graduating seniors about the negative effects of substance abuse.