The Miss Universe Organisation, which owns the Miss Teen USA pageant, has issued a statement chastising Karlie Hay but also “supporting her continued growth”.
After she was crowned the winner on Saturday night in Las Vegas, social media users found tweets containing the N-word linked to an account with Hay’s name.
A screenshot of the four tweets from 2013 and 2014 has been doing the rounds online, with many calling for Hay to lose her crown.
Pageant officials, referencing an apology Hay posted to Twitter and Instagram, say the 18-year-old was going through personal struggles and regrets her words.
“Several years ago, I had many personal struggles and found myself in a place that is not representative of who I am as a person,” she wrote. “I admit that I have used language publicly in the past which I am not proud of and that there is no excuse for. Through hard work, education and thanks in large part to the sisterhood that I have come to know through pageants, I am proud to say that I am today a better person. I am honoured to hold this title and I will use this platform to promote the values of The Miss Universe Organisation, and my own, that recognise the confidence, beauty and perseverance of all women.
Meanwhile, the beauty pageant has drawn some hilarious commentary on Twitter with many musing over the visual similarities between the five finalists.
“spot the difference” wrote @bendykoval, which was uploaded with a photo of identical jars of mayonnaise.
@chrissyteigen wrote: “Wow how can we choose from such a diverse bunch”.
Post a Comment