Miss Universe Argentina Loses Crown Amid Rigging Allegations
Magalí Benejam, the 2024 Miss Universe contestant representing Argentina, has been stripped of her title after claiming the pageant was rigged. The controversy erupted after Benejam, 30, shared her suspicions during a live YouTube interview with content creator King Lucho.
The Córdoba native alleged that the results of the competition, held in November, were predetermined. Her accusations cast a shadow on the credibility of the Miss Universe Organization, one of the world’s most prestigious beauty pageants.
“When they announced the Top 5, I saw the judges looking at each other in [strange] ways,” Benejam said, according to a translation by the Latin Times. “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.’”
Benejam, who placed 12th, also criticized the winner, Victoria Kjær Theilvig of Denmark, and Miss Puerto Rico Jennifer Colón. She claimed Theilvig’s victory seemed prearranged, citing the presence of security guards around her during the final days of the competition. Colón, she alleged, was unfriendly and wore what she deemed the “worst” gown of the night.
“I spoke to her a couple of times, but the last few days she decided to stop talking to me, I don’t know why,” Benejam said, according to a translation by the Daily Mail.
Benejam’s Instagram post following the competition added fuel to the fire, with a translated caption boasting, “The best body of this Miss Universe.”
The Miss Universe Organization swiftly responded to the controversy by revoking her title on January 2.
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“The Miss Universe Organization Announces the Withdrawal of the Miss Universe Argentina Title from Miss Magalí Benejam,” the organization said in an official statement. “After a thorough review of recent public comments made by Miss Magalí Benejam, and based on our core principles, we have decided to withdraw immediately the title of Miss Universe Argentina from Miss Benejam.”
The statement emphasized the organization’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, and respect, asserting that participants must uphold “the highest standards of personal and professional conduct.”
Benejam has yet to remove the title “Miss Universe Argentina 2024” from her Instagram bio or respond publicly to the organization’s decision.
