Latest news with #LinaLuaces
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Miss Universe Controversy Erupts As Viewers Claim Pageant Was 'Rigged' For Celeb Heiress
fans are voicing frustration and suspicion after the crowning of Lina Luaces as Miss Cuba 2025, citing her prominent family ties as a potential conflict of interest. Luaces of Miami, Florida, was officially crowned Miss Cuba 2025 on Wednesday, earning her a spot in the prestigious Miss Universe pageant, which will be held in Thailand this November. But what should have been a moment of celebration for the Miss Cuba winner has instead sparked controversy online. It was quickly revealed that Luaces is the daughter of Univision host Lili Estefan, niece of legendary singer , and music producer Emilio Estefan. All three Estefans were born in Cuba, while Luaces herself was born and raised in Miami. Her mother, Lili, is estimated to have a net worth of roughly $500 million. The beauty queen's background has left many Miss Universe fans crying foul, with several taking to the official Miss Universe Cuba Instagram page to express disappointment. Critics are calling the competition "rigged," arguing that Luaces' win had more to do with her celebrity lineage than her performance. "This will be the last Miss Universe Cuba competition I watch. If you noticed, she was called first EVERY TIME. They should just skip the dog and pony show and name a sponsored winner without the pretend competition. It would save a ton of time and money!" one commenter wrote. Another user declared, "Mi$$ Nepoti$m!!" "They say no to dictatorship in Cuba but yes to corruption and nepotism," someone else said. "Great job, Cuba." The comments didn't end there. "I'm sorry and nothing against her, but there were better contestants," another Instagram user said. "Her last name and family connections is why she won. All of these contests are rigged." "Why did they do the contest if it was already known who was going to win?" another asked. "She was gifted the crown for being the daughter of someone you know," someone else said, adding the eye rolling emoji. Luaces officially earned the title of Miss Universe Cuba 2025 earlier this week in a glamorous ceremony held in Hialeah, Florida, the cultural heart of Miami's Cuban-American community. The star-studded event, streamed live on MegaTV and the Miss Universe YouTube channel, showcased Luaces' poise, charisma, and unmistakable stage presence. When asked what Cuban dessert she would be, she playfully responded, 'A pastelito de guayaba, tough on the outside, soft and sweet inside.' But she also impressed viewers and judges with her deeper reflections. When prompted about her potential role as a leader and cultural representative, Luaces delivered a powerful statement, 'Being Cuban is my blood, my strength, my voice, my greatest pride.' Despite being born in the U.S. and speaking Spanish with a noticeable American accent, Luaces addressed skeptics directly. 'I feel Cuban, not American,' she said, rejecting calls that she should have competed in Miss USA or Miss America instead. Her remarks received thunderous applause from the audience, including her famous relatives. Luaces will go on to represent Cuba at the Miss Universe pageant this November in Thailand. The emotional moment was particularly special for the Estefan family, who were out in full force to support her. International superstar Gloria Estefan took to Instagram shortly after the event to share her pride and excitement: 'I'm so proud of my great-niece @linaluaces, our new #MissUniverseCuba2025! From welcoming you into the world to watching you blossom through life's highs and lows, it's been an honor. Your relentless dedication has brought you to this moment. You will make us proud in Thailand at #MissUniverse2025! We love you endlessly!' Despite the backlash, there has been no formal evidence or confirmation of foul play. Still, the uproar has highlighted ongoing concerns within the pageant community over transparency, fairness, and the influence of fame and wealth on outcomes. Luaces has not yet responded publicly to the criticism. As she prepares to represent Cuba on the international stage, all eyes will remain on the Miss Universe organization and its commitment to impartiality in the months ahead.
Daily Mail
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
'Rigged' Miss Universe contest slammed as fans vow to never watch it again
Miss Universe fans have been left outraged after it was revealed that recent competition winner Lina Luaces has connections to the entertainment world. The 22-year-old, from Miami, Florida, was crowned Miss Cuba 2025 on Wednesday night, which means she will move on to represent the country in the 2025 Miss Universe pageant, which will take place in Thailand this November. However, many seemed to be skeptical of Luaces' win, as it has been revealed that she is the daughter of Univision host Lili Estefan. Luaces' uncle, Emilio Estefan, is a music producer and businessman and her aunt is famous singer Gloria Estefan. Lili, Gloria, and Emilio were born in Cuba, while Luaces grew up in Miami. Her mom is estimated to have a net worth of around $500million. The outlet described the beauty queen as coming from 'Cuban-American royalty,' and it's not exactly something that is sitting well with Miss Universe fans. Many even took to the official Miss Universe Cuba Instagram page to air their grievances, with some claiming the competition was 'rigged' due to the 'nepo baby' win. Daily Mail reached out to Miss Universe for comment. One person wrote: 'I'm sorry and nothing against her but there were better contestants. Her last name and family connections is why she won. All of these contests are rigged.' Another agreed and added: 'Honestly we know why she won the crown… like it's so obvious.' A third said: 'This will be the last Miss Universe Cuba competition I watch. If you noticed, she was called first EVERY TIME. They should just skip the dog and pony show and name a sponsored winner without the pretend competition. It would save a ton of time and money!' Another photo of Luaces posted to the account was also flooded with comments. One said: 'Nepo baby,' while someone else added, 'Mi$ Nepoti$m!!' However, other Miss Universe fans defended her, with some claiming that they felt like she represented the Cuban-American community very well. One supporter said: 'Honestly we couldn't have a better representation… she is perfection. Always was. Like this was exactly what we want to represent "us".' Someone else agreed and wrote: 'I think Lina is representative of all Cubans. She was born out of the island because her family fled horrific political and economic circumstances on the island. 'Many, many Cubans live in exile for this same reason. We were born here in the USA due to circumstances beyond our control. We are still Cuban! Congratulations Lina! You represent me and my Cuban story!' There has been no evidence so far that the Miss Cuba 2025 competition was rigged. To be able to enter as a contestant in the Miss Cuba competition, you must be born in Cuba, or of Cuban descent, like Luaces is. Per Hola! Magazine, Cuba had been out of the competition for 57 years without a representative for the country. They made a return in 2024 when Marianela Ancheta was crowned as the winner. Miss Universe is a pageant that brings together girls from all over the world, each representing different countries. Last year, the winner was Victoria Kjær Theilvig, from Denmark. President Donald Trump was the previous co-owner of Miss Universe, from 1996 to 2015.
Daily Mail
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
'Rigged' Miss Universe contest slammed as fans vow to never watch again because of Miami winner
Miss Universe fans have been left outraged after it was revealed that recent competition winner Lina Luaces has a shocking connection to the entertainment world. The 22-year-old, who hails from Miami, Florida, was crowned as Miss Cuba 2025 on Wednesday night, which means that she will move on to represent the country in the 2025 Miss Universe pageant, which will take place in Thailand this November. However, many seemed to be skeptical of Luaces' win, as it has been revealed that she is the daughter of Univision host Lili Estefan. Her uncle, Emilio Estefan, is a music producer and businessman and her aunt is famous singer Gloria Estefan. Lili, Gloria and Emilio were born in Cuba, while Luaces grew up in Miami. Her mom is estimated to have a net worth of around $500 million. The outlet described the beauty queen as coming from 'Cuban-American royalty,' and it's not exactly something that is sitting well with Miss Universe fans. Many even took to the official Miss Universe Cuba Instagram page to air their grievances, with some even claiming that it was 'rigged' due to the ' nepo baby ' win. Daily Mail reached out to Miss Universe for comment. 'I'm sorry and nothing against her but there were better contestants. Her last name and family connections is why she won. All of these contests are rigged,' one person wrote. Many seemed to be skeptical of Luaces' win, as it has been revealed that she is the daughter of Univision host Lili Estefan. Her uncle, Emilio Estefan, is a music producer and businessman and her aunt is famous singer Gloria Estefan Another agreed, 'Honestly we know why she won the crown… like it's so obvious.' 'This will be the last Miss Universe Cuba competition I watch. If you noticed, she was called first EVERY TIME. They should just skip the dog and pony show and name a sponsored winner without the pretend competition. It would save a ton of time and money!' someone else typed. Another photo of Luaces posted to the account was also flooded with comments. 'Nepo baby,' someone wrote. 'Mi$$ Nepoti$m!!' one user seconded. However, other Miss Universe fans defended her, with some claiming that they felt like she represented the Cuban-American community very well. 'Honestly we couldn't have a better representation…. she is perfection. Always was. Like this was exactly what we want to represent "us,"' one watcher wrote. Someone else seconded, 'I think Lina is representative of all Cubans. She was born out of the island because her family fled horrific political and economic circumstances on the island. Many, many Cubans live in exile for this same reason. We were born here in the USA due to circumstances beyond our control. We are still Cuban! Congratulations Lina! You represent me and my Cuban story!' Of course, there has been no evidence so far that the Miss Cuba 2025 competition was rigged. Per Hola! Magazine, Cuba had been out of the competition for 57 years without a representative for the country. They made a return in 2024 when Marianela Ancheta was crowned as the winner. Miss Universe is a pageant that brings together girls from all over the world, each representing different countries. Last year, the winner was Victoria Kjær Theilvig, from Denmark. President Donald Trump was the previous co-owner of Miss Universe, from 1996 to 2015.
Miami Herald
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Take a look at Miss Universe Cuba 2025, where a Miami native was crowned
Miss Universe Cuba has a new queen named Lina Luaces, a 21-year-old model born in Miami, who comes from Cuban-American royalty. Luaces represented Santiago de Cuba, the city where her mother, Univision host Lili Estefan, and her uncle, music producer and businessman Emilio Estefan, were born. The Miss Universe Cuba 2025 gala was hosted by Miss Universe 2023 Sheynnis Palacios of Nicaragua, and Carlos Adyan of Puerto Rico, host of 'En Casa con Telemundo.' The ceremony also paid tribute to the outgoing queen, Marialena Ancheta, the first Miss Universe Cuba in 57 years, who represented Cubans in Miss Universe 2024. She was in charge of crowning Luaces, who will also be the queen of the celebrations for the centennial of the city of Hialeah. Take a look at images from Miss Universe Cuba 2025. Read more: Lina Luaces, daughter of Univision star Lili Estefan, is crowned Miss Universe Cuba
