At noon on May 28 (Vietnam time), in an official announcement posted on his personal Instagram page with more than 1.4 million followers, Rachel Gupta (Indien) suddenly announced her decision to give up the title of Miss Grand International 2024.
She wrote: I am very regretful to have to share this information: I have decided to give up the title and return the crown.
The beauty expressed that being crowned is one of the biggest dreams of her life.
However, according to Rachel, the months after being crowned were a period of time filled with "promises broken, unfair treatment and a toxic environment" that prevented her from keeping silent.
Rachel affirmed that this was a decision that was carefully considered and she will soon release a video to share more clearly about the journey she has gone through.
In the article, she also thanked the fans for always being by her side, and apologized for disappointing.
"I know this is disappointing for many people. Understand that this is not an easy decision, but it is the right thing for me to do. The truth will be revealed soon, Rachel emphasized.
Right after Rachel posted the article, the Organizing Committee of the contest had an official response on the Miss Grand International homepage, with different content.
This organization announced the termination of Rachel Gupta's title of Miss Grand International 2024 with immediate effect.
The notice clearly states three main reasons for the above decision: Rachel did not perform the assigned tasks; participated in outside projects without the approval of the organization and refused to participate in the working trip to Guatemala - part of the Miss in her current mandatory schedule.
MGI also asked Rachel to return the crown within 30 days of the announcement being posted, emphasizing that she is no longer allowed to use the title or image related to the Miss Grand International 2024 title.
The organizing committee of the contest has not announced who will replace Rachel in the role of Miss Grand International 2024.
The incident continues to attract public attention, especially from those who follow international beauty contests.
Notably, organizing Miss Grand International is not the first time being involved in a scandal with beauty queens after being crowned.
Previously, in 2015, beauty Anea Garcia - representative of the Dominican Republic and also Miss Grand International 2015 - had her crown stripped of just a few months after being crowned.
At that time, the organizers thought that she could not fulfill her obligations for personal reasons. 1st runner-up Claire Elizabeth Parker (Australia) was then replaced to keep the crown.
Miss Grand International is an international beauty pageant held annually since 2013, headquartered in Thailand. The contest aims at the message "Stop the War and Violence", attracting the participation of contestants from dozens of countries around the world.
Vietnam once had a representative crowned in this contest, Nguyen Thuc Thuy Tien, in 2021.
