Beauty queen Magalí Benejam has been stripped of her Miss Universe Argentina crown after she made a series of controversial remarks.
Benejam, 30, claimed during a live stream that the competition was rigged after it was won by Danish beauty Victoria Kjaer Theilvig, 21, in Mexico City in November.
‘When they announced the Top 5, I saw the judges looking at each other in [strange] ways,’ Benejam said.
‘They started looking at each other as if to say, “This is not what we chose, this is not what I chose.” That’s what it felt like from the outside, and that’s where I said, “OK, this is fixed.” It was always fixed, every year.’
Benejam placed 12th in the competition and was highly critical of how the Miss Universe Organization became inclusive by eliminating its age restriction for the 73rd pageant.
The beauty competition also permitted the participation of married women, mothers and transgender people.
The Córdoba resident also slammed the attitude of Miss Dominican Republic Celinee Santos.
She added that Miss Puerto Rico Jennifer Colón stopped being friendly as the night of the crowning neared.
‘I spoke to her a couple of times, but the last few days she decided to stop talking to me, I don’t know why,’ Benejam recalled.
‘I guess she was very nervous and very much in her element and it happened to me that in the last two days I said to her, “Hi, Jenny, how are you?” and she looked at me and didn’t answer.’
Benejam also took a shot at Colón’s attire for the final.
‘I think it was a complete decision of her organization, I don’t think she had a say here because what I saw of her style during the competition had been very nice,’ she said.
The Miss Universe Organization announced its decision to remove Benejam’s title as Miss Universe Argentina in a press release statement, which it issued January 2.
