Helen Prejean her best-selling book, "Dead Man Walking" (1993), based on her experiences with two convicts on Death Row for whom she served as spiritual adviser before their executions. In her book, she explored the effects of the death penalty on everyone involved. The book was adapted as a 1995 film of the same name, starring Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn. It was also adapted as an opera, first produced in 2000 by the San Francisco Opera. Helen Prejean was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the daughter of Augusta Mae (née Bourg; 1911–1993), a nurse, and Louis Sebastian Prejean (1893–1974), a lawyer.
Carrie Prejean K2 announced a settlement with undisclosed terms, with both sides dropping their lawsuits. CNN subsequently reported that Prejean's settlement with Miss California USA officials was prompted by the revelation of a "sex tape", a home video involving Prejean. In November 2009, Prejean released a memoir titled "Still Standing: The Untold Story of My Fight Against Gossip, Hate, and Political Attacks" through conservative publisher Regnery Publishing. The book explores what Prejean believes were unfair attacks by those in the media that leaned left and what she characterized as "a vindictive smear campaign" from Hollywood, while also focusing on her conservative values.