The CEO of the Miss Universe pageant is making headlines after making some controversial comments about the ‘latest evolution’ of the pageant.
On Saturday, after Victoria Kjær Theilvig was crowned the new Miss Universe, she was joined at a press conference by CEO Anne Jakrajutatip when asked how the pageant was taking “strategic steps” to evolve.
His response was published in a clip on the Instagram account. @roadtomissusawhich got a great response from fans.
During the press conference, a journalist asked Jakrajutatip, a Thai businesswoman and the first transgender woman to hold the Miss Universe pageant, about the ‘strategic steps’ they were taking in terms of its evolution.
Looking bewildered, the CEO replied: ‘Evolution? We have blonde and blue eyes, so we are already reaching the final evolution.
‘We don’t need more evolution here. Here we already have the best.”
Theilvig, who was crowned Miss Universe Denmark in September, is an animal rights activist and has spoken openly about her personal experiences with abuse.
After the CEO made her statement about the ‘latest evolution’, many Miss Universe fans were unimpressed and took to social media to express their thoughts.
On Saturday, after Victoria Kjær Theilvig was crowned the new Miss Universe, CEO Anne Jakrajutatip joined her at a press conference, where she made the controversial comments.
During the press conference, a journalist asked Jakrajutatip about the “strategic steps” they were taking in terms of the evolution of beauty pageants.
Looking bewildered, the CEO replied: ‘Evolution? We have blonde and blue eyes, so we are already reaching the definitive evolution.’
‘The CEO of Miss Universe is a weirdo because wdym (what do you mean) evolution is blonde and blue eyes?’ one person wrote in X.
Someone else agreed: “For the CEO of Miss Universe to boldly say that blonde hair and blue eyes is the standard is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooow,” someone else agreed.
“The comments from the CEO of Miss Universe are so shocking,” wrote another 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 strongly disagreed.
The account’s post included a screenshot of Miss Universe co-owner Raúl Rocha Cantú’s Instagram story sharing an X post that Donald Trump’s son Don Jr. did after Saturday’s win.
Don Jr.’s post read: ‘Biologically and objectively attractive women can win beauty pageants again. WE ARE BACK!!!’
“This is beyond vulgar,” one user commented on Instagram. ‘I don’t think I can watch Miss United States or Miss Universe anymore.
‘Their leaders are ruining these shows. They are insensitive, greedy, they do not care about the production of the pageant or the needs of the contestants. I can’t stand this nonsense.’
Theilvig, who was crowned Miss Universe Denmark in September, is an animal rights activist and has spoken openly about her personal experiences with abuse.
The post also included an X-rated comment from Donald Trump’s son, Don Jr., that he made after Saturday’s victory.
Another person agreed: ‘Stop giving them your money.’ Go where you’re welcome and it’s clearly not there. Better ways to invest your time, money, heart, talents and intelligence!’
‘I’m all for empowering blondes because we’d be lying if we said they’ve been adequately rewarded for stellar performances over the last few years within this organization, but the fine line between empowerment and outright racism is somehow fading.’ wrote one Instagram user.
Someone else simply wrote: ‘Yiiiiiilikes.’ I just like it.’
Others, however, didn’t seem to find any problem with the comment.
‘It’s evolutionary because the last blonde was in 2004… there to know that we had everything on the spectrum. I love the new Miss Universe,’ someone wrote.
One account admitted: “The Trump era was the best and we want him to come 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 strongly disagreed.
In addition to publishing Don Jr.’s X post and Jakrajutatip’s video, the pageantry news account also weighed in on the matter.
“The troubling statements from the director and CEO, combined with the poor production quality and execution of ideas, suggest that the organization is more focused on drawing attention to themselves rather than elevating and empowering women,” she wrote in split the account.
DailyMail.com has contacted the contest organizers for comment.
This is not the first comment about Miss Universe competitors that Jakrajutatip has made since becoming CEO of the organization.
In June, the CEO was caught saying that “trans women, married women and divorced women” can compete in the beauty pageant but cannot win, in a leaked video posted by Vox.
In footage from a board meeting last November, Jakrajutatip was heard making bold statements about how diversity improves the competition’s image, but in the end women from these backgrounds would not be successful.
‘Trans women, women with husbands, divorced women… This is a communication strategy, because, you understand… they can compete but they can’t win. We simply published the policy. Social inclusion, as people would say,’ he said.