By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2024-11-22 20:32:18 | Updated at 2024-11-24 01:16:11
1 day ago
The CEO of the Miss Universe pageant is making headlines after making some controversial comments about the 'ultimate evolution' of the competition.
On Saturday, after Victoria Kjær Theilvig was crowned as the new Miss Universe, CEO Anne Jakrajutatip joined her for a press conference when she was asked how the pageant was taking 'strategic steps' to evolve.
Her response was posted in a clip on the Instagram account @roadtomissusa, which garnered a big response from fans.
During the press conference, a reporter asked Jakrajutatip, who is a Thai businesswoman and the first transgender woman to own the Miss Universe pageant - about the 'strategic steps' they were taking when it came to its evolution.
Looking taken aback, the CEO responded, 'Evolution? We have blonde and blue eyes, so we're coming to the ultimate evolution already.
'We don't need any more evolution here. We already got the best here.'
Theilvig, who was crowned as Miss Universe Denmark in September, is an animal rights activist and has been open about her personal experiences with abuse.
After the CEO made her statement about the 'ultimate evolution,' many Miss Universe fans weren't impressed, and took to social media to air their thoughts.
On Saturday, after Victoria Kjær Theilvig was crowned as the new Miss Universe, CEO Anne Jakrajutatip joined her for a press conference, where she made the controversial comments
During the press conference, a reporter had asked Jakrajutatip about the 'strategic steps' they were taking when it came to the evolution of beauty pageants
Looking taken aback, the CEO responded, 'Evolution? We have blonde and blue eyes, so we're coming to the ultimate evolution already'
'The Miss Universe ceo is a weirdo because wdym (what do you mean) the evolution is blonde and blue eyes?' one person wrote on X.
Someone else agreed, 'The Miss Universe CEO boldly saying blonde hair and blue eyes is the standard is soooo.'
'Miss Universe CEO’s comments are so shocking,' another typed on the platform.
The conversation also continued in the comments section of the Instagram post made by @roadtomissusa, where some seemed to side with Jakrajutatip and others totally disagreed.
The account's post included a screenshot of Miss Universe co-owner Raul Rocha Cantú's Instagram Story sharing an X post that Donald Trump's son Don Jr. made after the win on Saturday.
Don Jr.'s post read: 'Biological & objectively attractive women are allowed to win beauty pageants again. WE ARE SO BACK!!!'
'This is beyond tacky,' one user commented on Instagram. 'I don’t think I can watch Miss USA or Miss Universe anymore.
'Their leaders are running these pageants to the ground. They are insensitive, greedy, do not care about the production of the pageant, and the needs of the contestants. I cannot support this nonsense.'
Theilvig, who was crowned as Miss Universe Denmark in September, is an animal rights activist and has been open about her personal experiences with abuse
The post also included an X comment from Donald Trump's son Don Jr., which he made after the win on Saturday
Another person agreed, 'Stop giving them your money. Go where you are welcome and clearly it is not there. Better ways to invest your time, money, heart, talents, and intelligence!'
'I’m all for empowering the blondes because we would be lying if we said that they’ve been properly rewarded for stellar performances in the past few years within this organization, but the thin line between empowerment and flat out racism is somehow being dashed,' an Instagram user penned.
Someone else just simply wrote, 'Yiiiiiiikes. Just yiiiiiikes.'
Others, however, didn't seem to find issue with the remark.
'It is evolutionary because the last blonde was in 2004… there to know we had everything in the spectrum. Love the new Miss Universe,' someone typed.
One account admitted, 'Trump era was the best, and we want it back.'
The conversation also continued in the comments section of the Instagram post made by @roadtomissusa, where some seemed to side with Jakrajutatip and others totally disagreed
In addition to posting Don Jr.'s post on X and the video of Jakrajutatip, the pageantry news account also weighed in on the matter.
'The concerning statements from the director and CEO, combined with the subpar production quality and execution of ideas, suggest that the organization is more focused on garnering attention for themselves rather than uplifting and empowering women,' the account wrote in part.
DailyMail.com has reached out to the pageant organization for comment.
This isn't the first comment about Miss Universe's competitors that Jakrajutatip has made since becoming CEO of the organization.
In June, the CEO was caught saying 'trans women, married women, and divorced women' can compete in the beauty pageant but cannot win, in a bombshell leaked video published by Vox.
Jakrajutatip was heard in the footage from a board meeting last November making bold statements about how diversity improves the competition's image, but ultimately women from these backgrounds would not be successful at the end.
'The trans women, the women with husbands, divorced women... This is a communication strategy, because, you understand... they can compete but they cannot win. We just put the policy out there. Social inclusion, as people would say,' she said.
