The 2024 Miss Universe competition might be long over but it is still sparking new controversies.
This is as the contestant who represented Argentina in 2024, Magalí Benejam has been stripped of her title.
It was gathered that Benejam faced this repercussion after she claimed that the beauty competition which held in November was rigged.
Speaking in a recent live YouTube broadcast with content creator King Lucho, the 30-year-old beauty queen said the final results were questionable and it was basically a fake competition.
According to Benejam, the Miss Universe competition was fixed and it has always been so.
She said, “When they announced the Top 5, I saw the judges looking at each other in [strange] ways. 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.”
The ousted 30-year-old from Córdoba who was not done also had words for 21-year-old Victoria Kjær Theilvig who emerged winner of the 2024 Miss Universe pageant.
She claimed that she had suspected that Theilvig already knew she was going to win especially since she came in had always known she was going to win. According to her, the Denmark queen had at least three security guards with her during the final days of the competition.
Benejam also added that people even told her the winner of Miss Universe 2024 was decided 10 days prior.
The Argentinian beauty queen also had some words for Miss Puerto Rico Jennifer Colon who she accused of being unfriendly and wearing the “worst” gown of the night.
She said her Puerto Rican rival was just “very nervous” and “very much in her element” because she didn’t respond when asked a simple question like “how are you?”
In response to the accusations by Benejam, The Miss Universe Organisation cut the 30-year-old from the community and stripped her of her title of Miss Universe Argentina.
This was disclosed in a statement according to the New York Post.
“The Miss Universe Organization Announces the Withdrawal of the Miss Universe Argentina Title from Miss Magali Benejam.
After a thorough review of recent public comments made by Miss Magali Benejam, and based on our core principles, we have decided to withdraw immediately the title of Miss Universe Argentina from Miss Benejam,” the statement read.
The pageant organization also noted that participants needed to reflect “unwavering principles” like diversity, inclusion and respecting all individuals “regardless of their backgrounds, beliefs, or experiences.”
The Miss Universe 2024 competition held at the Arena CDMX in Mexico City, Mexico, on 16 November 2024. Victoria Kjær Theilvig of Denmark was crowned the winner making it Denmark’s first win in the pageant’s history.
Chidimma Adetshina from Nigeria also broke multiple records after she emerged first runner-up. Benejam who represented Argentina at the competition only made it to top 12.
