Miss Bolivia stripped of crown after insulting beauty queens

(CMR) Miss Bolivia Maria Fernanda Pavisic, who was to represent her country at the Miss Universe 2023 beauty pageant, was stripped of her crown after making offensive remarks about other contestants on social media.

Pavisic came under fire for racist and discriminatory remarks she made in videos she posted to her Instagram stories that targeted rival contestants in the Miss Universe. Promociones Gloria, responsible for the Miss Universe franchise in Bolivia, revoked Pavisic's title as Miss Bolivia for “breach of contract,” the Latin Post reported.

This means Pavisic can no longer compete in the Miss Universe 2023 contest, which will be held on January 4 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Pavisic comments allegedly ranged from simple trash-talking to offensive, including calling Miss Paraguay, Miss Brazil, and Miss El Salvador “old ladies.” She also said Miss Ecuador, Miss Aruba, and Miss Curaçao belonged in the “thanks for participating” category.

Her comments toward Miss Venezuela, Miss Peru, and Miss Argentina were found to be the most offensive. She said Miss Venezuela and Miss Peru resembled “transsexuals,” and she referred to Miss Argentina as “Miss Potosi,” which was considered an insult to the women of Potosi city, Latin Post reported.

Following her posts, the mayor's office from the city of Potosi filed a complaint with Bolivia's Attorney General's Office and accused the 23-year-old former beauty queen of racism and discrimination. The Potosi city government sought to ban her from the contest and stripped her of her Miss Bolivia title.

Pavisic's rants on social media did not stop after the revocation of her Miss Bolivia title. She said she “never made racist or discriminatory comments or statements against anyone” and said the revocation of her crown was unfair.

According to the Latin Post, she said her dismissal sets a “bad precedent” in the contest because the crown was taken from someone who did not commit the actions for which she is accused. In a statement on social media, the model said, “a title of beauty is ephemeral, and life is more than a crown,” before thanking her loved ones for their support.

After she was attacked on social media for her alleged racist and discriminatory remarks, Pavisic posted another video in which she apologized to fellow Miss Universe 2023 contestants.