The Miss Universe contestant who represented Argentina in 2024 was stripped of her title after claiming the beauty competition in November was rigged.
Contestant Magalí Benejam made the controversial comments during a recent live YouTube broadcast with content creator King Lucho.
The ousted 30-year-old from Córdoba – a city located in the northern part of the country – suggested the final results were questionable and hinted that the entire extravaganza was fake.
“When they announced the Top 5, I saw the judges looking at each other in [strange] ways,” Benejam claimed 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 placed 12th in the highly competitive spectacle.
During the YouTube interview, she slammed both the winner, 21-year-old Victoria Kjær Theilvig from Denmark and 37-year-old Miss Puerto Rico Jennifer Colón, who also placed in the top 12.
The model suspected the Danish winner knew she was going to win because she had at least three security guards with her during the final days of the competition.
Benejam added that people even told her the outcome was decided 10 days prior.
Then, Benejam went after another queen and accused Colón of not being friendly and wearing 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 suspects 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?”
Even after Benejam lost she still shared an Instagram reel with the translated caption reading “The best body of this Miss Universe.”
Once the Miss Universe Organization got word of her comments, it cut Benejam from the community on Jan 2.
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“The Miss Universe Organization Announces the Withdrawal of the Miss Universe Argentina Title from Miss Magali Benejam,” a statement from the organization read. “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 organization insisted that participants needed to reflect “unwavering principles” like diversity, inclusion and respecting all individuals “regardless of their backgrounds, beliefs, or experiences.”
“The decision comes after careful consideration and aligns with our commitment to uphold the highest standards of personal and professional conduct,” the statement continued. “We want to emphasize that this action is taken to protect the integrity of the organization and the opportunities it provides to women around the world.”
Benejam has not yet taken “Miss Universe Argentina 2024” out of her Instagram bio.
