Allegations fly between MGI's Nawat Itsaragrisil and Rachel Gupta
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The Miss Grand International's Nawat Itsaragrisil and its dethroned winner Rachel Gupta are trading barbs in what may be the most controversial news to come from the pageant world this year.
In a TikTok Live recorded by a pageant fan, the Miss Grand International president claimed that Rachel Gupta did not resign from her position as the 2024 Miss Grand International but was rather stripped of her title in a letter sent to her by the organization.
“I told you that we are terminating you when I sent the letter to you. We terminate you first and then after that, around half an hour, you will post after me. You not resign. I kick you out, you know. You not quality enough. You never beautiful from inside,” he explained.
As to why Rachel was stripped of her title, Nawat said that the money was “too low” for Rachel and that the former titleholder was demanding and sent a lot of “documents” to the organization of her demands.
“Maybe tomorrow I attach all the documents that she sent to me. Send it to our organization, in Miss Grand International. Let everybody look what she say, what she write, what she want. She feeling like a boss,” he shared.
Nawat was responding to an hour-long video where Rachel alleged that the Miss Grand International pageant accepted payment for votes from different countries so that their country representatives would win the crown. She also alleged that her time with the organization was filled with “constant harassment, mental torture and systemic mistreatment.”
Other allegations that Rachel outlined in her video include body shaming and verbal abuse, non-payment from the organization, as well as the dismissal of an incident of sexual harassment. She also claimed that she was repeatedly threatened with dethronement throughout her reign.
Watch her full video below.
After the release of her video, the Miss Grand International organization posted an announcement on its Facebook account that Rachel has been stripped of her title. As of this writing, the announcement has garnered more than 60,000 reactions, more than 4,000 comments, and has been shared more than 7,000 times.
Read the announcement below.
While no formal announcement has been made as of this writing, the Miss Grand International organization has hinted in an Instagram Reel that Miss Grand International first runner-up CJ Opiaza might be taking the crown.
As of this writing, the post has accumulated more than 60,000 likes.
Rachel Gupta is just the latest Miss Grand International winner to be stripped of their title. Back in October last year, 2024 Miss Grand International second runner-up Miss Grand Myanmar Thae Su Nyein was removed from her position due to alleged “inappropriate behavior and actions that violated several regulations.”
There was also controversy even before Thae Sy Nyein was stripped of her title. Three weeks before she was stripped of her title, the Miss Grand Cambodia organization vowed that the Miss Grand International pageant would never return to their country.
While pageant fans and probably CJ herself is waiting for the official announcement, more than 20 delegates are hoping to be CJ's successor. Check this year's Miss Grand Philippines candidates in the gallery below.
RELATED CONTENT: Take a look at CJ Opiaza's week as the 2024 Miss Grand International first runner-up in the gallery below.
