Latest news with #RachelGupta
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Beauty Queen Tearfully Steps Down from Miss Grand International as Pageant Denies Harassment Claims
Rachel Gupta, representing India, was crowned Miss Grand International at the Thailand-based beauty competition in October 2024 Gupta claims that during her time as Miss Grand International, she experienced toxicity including body shaming and poor food and housing accommodations Miss Grand International has responded to claims in a statement provided to PEOPLE, calling her claims 'false' and 'misleading'An international beauty queen is letting go of her crown after she claims to have endured unfair treatment from the organization that bestowed her title. Rachel Gupta, who was crowned Miss Grand International in October 2024, detailed her alleged experience in a nearly hour-long YouTube video explaining her decision to relinquish her title. "The whole time that I was working with Miss Grand International, the last seven months, I was constantly harassed, manipulated, ignored and left to fend for myself," Gupta said, beginning her now-viral explanation. While her claims have amassed over 1 million views, Miss Grand International is now responding in a lengthy statement shared with PEOPLE. "Miss Grand International Public Company Limited (MGI) issues this formal statement in response to a series of false, misleading, and defamatory claims made publicly by Ms. Rachel Gupta, former Miss Grand International 2024," the statement begins. "Her remarks, circulated via a video published on 28 May 2025, distort facts and misrepresent her contractual relationship with MGI — relying solely on emotional appeals and tearful storytelling without any physical evidence to support her claims." "Furthermore, Ms. Gupta made specific allegations directed at Ms. Teresa Chaivisut, the Chief Operating Officer of MGI. We firmly state that every accusation made against Ms. Teresa is entirely false and without merit," the statement continues. "Throughout Ms. Gupta's reign, Ms. Teresa acted with professionalism, fairness, and in full alignment with MGI's internal policies and ethical standards. These defamatory claims are rejected in their entirety." The statement adds, "MGI will not allow personal attacks or manipulative narratives to undermine the credibility of its executives or the integrity of the organization." Gupta claimed that after competing against her peers and winning the crown, she was forced to sign a "one-sided" contract that gave her little room to say no to those in charge of the title. In exchange, however, Gupta expected that the accommodations promised to her as part of winning the crowd would be provided. The pageant winner claimed she quickly learned that she would not be provided with the monthly stipend, penthouse lodging and 'basic amenities" she was promised. Rather, she alleged that she had to buy her own Thai cell phone to be able to keep in touch with her family. She also was unaware that the prize money that came with the title wouldn't be paid out until the end of her reign, leaving in her a complicated financial situation where she had to rely on family. She claimed that "immediately after winning, they moved me into a cramped hotel room, where all my suitcases couldn't open properly because there wasn't enough space." Eventually, she claimed she was moved to "a dilapidated house which was way on the outside of the city," alleging, "I had no car. They didn't give me any way of getting around. I was stuck in the house until they decided that they needed me for something." Relying on takeout because "there were no pots and pans," she said that she gained weight and was allegedly ridiculed for it by MGI officials. 'They were hounding me, constantly talking about my weight and my body," Gupta tearfully alleged. "They sent a representative to me, and he just comes up to me and starts pinching me in places. He's like, 'Oh, you need to lose weight here. You need to lose weight here.' It's so embarrassing. It makes you feel so small and so bad." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Gupta alleged that she was "stuck" in Thailand, and not allowed to go home to India. The last straw for Gupta was that she allegedly had "no security." When she was on their grounds, $1,000 allegedly went missing and MGI did not help her in that situation. 'I realized, in that moment, that these people will never support me,' she said. 'Frankly they don't care if I live or die. As long as I'm there to smile at their events, as long as I keep my body super skinny, the way they like, they don't care if I live or die. They just want me to be there, to go on TikTok Live and make money for them and show up at their events. That's it, that's all they want from me." She continued, "I realized they would never, never support me, and I was completely on my own… they made us sell. You guys know they made us sell these cheap, tacky products on TikTok like we were salesgirls. You've crowned queens, girls who have careers in our country, we do things, we're well respected, and they're making us sell cheap products on TikTok because it makes them money and you can't say no." Shortly after the video went live, Miss Grand National announced that they were rescinding Gupta's crown, vehemently denying her claims. "The Miss Grand International Organization hereby announces the termination of Miss Rachel Gupta's title as Miss Grand International 2024, effective immediately," the statement shared on social media read. "This decision follows her failure to fulfill her assigned duties, engagement in external projects without prior approval from the organization, and her refusal to participate in the scheduled trip to Guatemala.""As a result, the organization has resolved to revoke her title with immediate effect. Miss Rachel Gupta is no longer authorized to use the title or wear the crown associated with Miss Grand International 2024," the statement continued. "We request that the crown be returned to the MGI Head Office within 30 days from the date of this notice." In the meantime, the organization is moving on with Ana Sofía Lendl, Miss Grand Guatemala, as their new Miss Grand International. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Miss Grand International's Rachel Gupta Steps Down, Alleges Harassment
Originally appeared on E! Online Rachel Gupta has taken off her crown for the last time. The former Miss Grand International 2024, who won the title in October, announced she was stepping down from the role due to mistreatment and harassment from Miss Grand International Public Company Limited (MGI), the organization behind the Thai beauty pageant. "The whole time that I was working with Miss Grand International, the last seven months,' Gupta said in a May 28 YouTube video, 'I was constantly harassed, manipulated, ignored and left to fend for myself." In addition to her allegations that she was made to sign a 'one-sided' contract and was often left without 'basic amenities,' the 21-year-old alleged that "immediately after winning, they moved me into a cramped hotel room, where all my suitcases couldn't open properly because there wasn't enough space." Gupta then alleged she gained weight as a result of eating takeout food since "there were no pots and pans" in the lodging provided by MGI. And then, in turn, she said the organization ridiculed her because of her weight gain. More from E! Online Elon Musk's Ex Ashley St. Clair Has Jaw-Dropping Response to Donald Trump Fallout Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta's Khadiyah Lewis Dead at 44 Dakota Johnson Rocks Sheer Revenge Dress After Chris Martin Breakup 'They were hounding me, constantly talking about my weight and my body," Gupta continued in the video. "They sent a representative to me, and he just comes up to me and starts pinching me in places. He's like, 'Oh, you need to lose weight here. You need to lose weight here.' It's so embarrassing. It makes you feel so small and so bad." Ultimately, the beauty queen decided to relinquish her title after she said she was 'stuck' in Thailand with 'no security,' unable to return to her home in India, and felt unsupported by MGI during her time there, including after $1000 allegedly went missing. 'I realized, in that moment, that these people will never support me,' she said. 'Frankly they don't care if I live or die. As long as I'm there to smile at their events, as long as I keep my body super skinny, the way they like, they don't care if I live or die.' Shortly after Gupta published her video, MGI announced on Instagram that they had revoked her title. Later, they refuted her allegations. "Miss Grand International Public Company Limited (MGI) issues this formal statement in response to a series of false, misleading, and defamatory claims made publicly by Ms. Rachel Gupta, former Miss Grand International 2024," the organization said in a statement to People published June 5. "Her remarks, circulated via a video published on 28 May 2025, distort facts and misrepresent her contractual relationship with MGI—relying solely on emotional appeals and tearful storytelling without any physical evidence to support her claims." In addition to emphasizing that Gupta's claims, including allegations directed at MGI's chief operating officer, were 'rejected in their entirety' by the organization, they noted their belief in the beauty pageant. "MGI will not allow personal attacks or manipulative narratives,' the statement continued, 'to undermine the credibility of its executives or the integrity of the organization." E! News has reached out to Gupta and MGI for comment and has not heard back. Read on for more stars who were formerly beauty pageant winners. Tan France vs. Bobby BerkShannen Doherty vs. Alyssa MilanoJoJo Siwa vs. Candace Cameron BureCourtney Love vs. Olivia RodrigoDwayne Johnson vs. Tyrese Gibson For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
New York Post
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Miss Grand International 2024 calls out pageant for 'toxicity'
She's giving up her title. Rather than receiving the royal treatment after winning a worldwide beauty pageant in 2024, Rachel Gupta claims she was treated like second-class citizen — abandoned in a 'dilapidated' house sans food, phone, money or security. 'The whole time that I was working with Miss Grand International, the last seven months, I was constantly harassed, manipulated, ignored and left to fend for myself,' a sobbing Gupta, 21, from India, revealed while virally renouncing her royal status on YouTube. 'These have been the hardest few months of my life.' 5 Rachel Gupta claims the Miss Grand International organization harassed, manipulated and abandoned her after she won the Thai-based beauty pageant in October 2024. YouTube/Rachel Gupta Deeming Miss Grand International as a breeding ground for 'toxicity and negativity,' Gupta aired out her grievances with the Thailand-based beauty pageant to over 1.4 million viewers in a 56-minute tell-all. In response, Miss Grand International has publicly revoked Gupta's crown, alleging she failed to 'fulfill her assigned duties, [engaged] in external projects without prior approval from the organization, and [refused] to participate in the scheduled trip to Guatemala.' 5 Gupta was crowned Miss Grand International 2024, believing she'd receive grand prize money, a penthouse and traveling privileges. NARONG SANGNAK/EPA-EFE / Shutterstock However, Gupta begs to differ. After being crowned queen in October, the Gen Z claims MGI executives, with a figurative 'gun to the head,' forced her to sign a 'one-sided' contract, in which she blindly agreed to comply with all of the organization's requests. But she claims the brand failed to fulfill its promises to provide her with a monthly stipend, penthouse lodging and 'basic amenities.' 5 Gupta claims she became depressed after being left to 'fend' for herself outside of MGI sanctioned events and appearances. Getty Images 'Immediately after winning, they moved me into a cramped hotel room, where all my suitcases couldn't open properly because there wasn't enough space,' Gupta carped on camera. 'Then, they shifted me to a dilapidated house which was way on the outside of the city. I had no car. They didn't give me anyway of getting around.' 'I was stuck in the house until they decided that they needed me for something.' Virtually stranded without sustenance or cooking supplies, Gupta, a vegetarian, was forced to purchase herself a Thai cellphone for ordering takeout. Surviving on nothing but fast-food negatively altered her figure, she said. 5 Gupta says she was subjected to constant body shaming by MGI executives who scrutinized her weight. NARONG SANGNAK/EPA-EFE / Shutterstock 'How am I supposed to stay healthy or take care of myself when I can't eat home cooked food? It was so bad,' the siren groaned, adding that she was also denied access to a gym and workout equipment. 'Most days I'd end up eating whatever junk I had or I would order food. But because it's so far away, the drivers would end up canceling.' She blames MGI for the struggle. 'It's their responsibility. I'm with that organization,' said Gupta, admitting that the ordeal rendered her depressed. 'They should at least make sure that they're giving their queen food to eat.' However, instead of showing concern for her well-being, she says the powers-that-be were only concerned about her changing waistline. 5 Gupta forewarned future MGI contestants that the organization 'does not care about you.' AFP via Getty Images 'They were hounding me, constantly talking about my weight and my body,' Gupta cried. 'They sent a representative to me, and he just comes up to me and starts pinching me in places and he's like, 'Oh, you need to lose weight here. You need to lose weight here.'' 'It's so embarrassing,' she wept. 'It makes you feel so small and so bad.' Gupta then explained that she'd reported a potential robbery to MGI organizers, hoping the honchos would boost security at the so-called slummy house. However, she claims her cries for help fell on deaf ears. 'I realized, in that moment, that these people will never support me,' said the tearful head-turner. 'As long as I'm there to smile at their events, keep my body super skinny the way they like — they don't care if I live or die.' 'I was completely my own.' Throughout her reign as Miss MGI, Gupta says she was barred from participating in advocacy and charity work, but bullied into selling 'cheap and tacky' products on TikTok for the pageant's financial gains. 'They are cold-hearted business people. They just want to extract your use, make money off of you and that it is,' Gupta asserted. 'The other thing they care about is how you look,' she continued, accusing company higher-ups of spewing, 'body-shaming, disgusting, deplorable comments,' about their competitors. 'It made me feel sick,' said Gupta. 'I was ready to throw up.' In MGI's official statement, shared to Instagram on May 28, the organization directly responded to each of their ex-star's allegations. It also asked that its crown be returned to headquarters 'within 30 days.' Gupta is among a growing number of beauty pageant titleholders who've recently sashayed away from the winner's sash. Both Miss USA and Miss Teen USA 2024 stepped down from their respective positions due to alleged 'bullying' by the organization's CEO. The Miss Teen USA runner up, too, turned down the honor amid the chaos. Gupta hopes other pageant queen wannabes think twice before signing up for a potential setup. 'Even if you win, you'll be completely on your own,' she warned. 'You will not get any love or special of treatment or support from this organization.' 'The Miss Grand International organization [does not] care about you.'
GMA Network
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- GMA Network
Miss Grand International extends age range for contestants
Miss Grand International is implementing a new change to its contestant eligibility criteria. On Wednesday, the organization officially announced that starting from the 2025 edition, the eligible age range for contestants will be extended to 18–35 years old. Previously, the age requirement for joining the international pageant was 17–30 years old. The reigning Miss Grand International queen is CJ Opiaza from the Philippines. She took over the title this week after India's Rachel Gupta resigned and relinquished her crown. Meanwhile, 27 candidates will compete this year for the Miss Grand Philippines 2025 crown. —Carby Rose Basina/MGP, GMA Integrated News
Daily Mail
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Beauty queen dramatically steps down as Miss Grand International after citing 'toxic environment'
A beauty queen has dramatically stepped down as Miss Grand International after just eight months - citing a 'toxic environment.' Rachel Gupta, an Indian model and actress, who made history as the first Indian to win the Miss Grand International title in October 2024, has handed back her crown. The 21-year-old claimed she endured a toxic environment, body shaming, and unfulfilled promises by the pageant's organizers. In a 56-minute YouTube video called 'The Truth About Miss Grand International – My Story,' the model broke down in tears as she shared her experience of her short reign. She said she was subjected to demeaning comments about her body, including an incident where a representative allegedly pinched her and told her to ' lose weight here and here.' Rachel described it as 'so embarrassing' and said it made her feel 'so small and so bad.' 'I realized they would never, never support me, and I was completely on my own,' she said. Gupta also alleged that she was made to live in substandard conditions - first in a cramped hotel room and later in a dilapidated house in Bangkok without basic amenities. She claimed that the organization failed to provide the promised financial and logistical support, forcing her parents to assist her financially. The former Miss Grand International also accused the pageant of exploiting her by making her sell products on TikTok. 'They made us sell these cheap, tacky products on TikTok like we were salesgirls,' she revealed. In response to her video, the Miss Grand International organization dismissed Gupta's claims as 'false, misleading, and defamatory,' in an Instagram post. The organization accused her of relying on 'emotional appeals and tearful storytelling without any physical evidence to support her claims.' It also released statements and evidence, including photos of her accommodations and email correspondence, to counter her allegations. The organization officially terminated her title, citing her failure to fulfill her duties and accusing her of seeking inappropriate favors, such as free cosmetic surgery for relatives. Rachel warned future contestants of systemic problems within the pageant, stating, 'I don't think they can ever change this.' Christine Juliane Opiaza from the Philippines is set to be crowned as Gupta's replacement on June 3. has reached out to both parties for further comment. Rachel's resignation follows a similar exit by England's Miss World contestant Milla Magee. Milla, 24, had initially blamed her abrupt departure from the pageant in Hyderabad, India, on 'personal reasons.' But now the truth behind her exit has been revealed – and it paints a disturbing picture of a pageant she claims is 'outdated' and 'stuck in the past.' The history-making beauty – the first Miss England in the competition's 74-year history to resign – said she had gone in with hopes of making a difference. 'I went there to make a difference but we had to sit like performing monkeys,' she told The Sun, accusing organizers of turning her into little more than eye candy for wealthy male sponsors. Milla revealed contestants were ordered to doll up in heavy make-up and evening gowns from morning to night – even at breakfast – and were paraded at events purely to charm deep-pocketed backers. She said the experience made her feel 'like a prostitute' who was being 'farmed out for entertainment.'
