sMothered star Gabriella Vigorito has weighed in on her Miss Connecticut USA loss, telling followers in a TikTok video that she is “choosing to walk away” from the pageant industry.
“When you have a certain level of status, I guess they don’t want you to win. They did not want me to win and they did not want to give me more success,” Gabriella, 23, said in the video posted on April 16, which was met with frustration and backlash from viewers.
The sMothered star began her video in a baffled tone and said, “I’m not Miss Connecticut USA. So, what happened this weekend?”
The reality star went on to claim that she “nailed” her interview and “killed it on stage.” Gabriella also added that the audience “went crazy” over her gown. However, despite making it to the top five in the pageant for the past two years and there only being 19 women competing for the title this year, Gabriella only made the top 11. Gabriella even implied that the audience was shocked at her placement and said they were “unwell.”
The TLC star continued to list all of her achievements such as being the face of the sMothered and walking in New York Fashion Week with Miss Universe. Gabriella added that her reality fame is what led to her not winning Miss Connecticut.
However, fans didn’t seem to agree with her. Several TikTok users bashed Gabriella for her comments and many of them believed that the organization’s decision to crown Shavana Clarke as the winner was the right one.
“I just saw Shavana. She’s stunning. She crocheted her own bathing suit. And she radiates a more positive energy than you. Pageants are about being a role model,” read the top comment.
Another person wrote, “Woahhh girl Shavana is beautiful and clearly has worked hard for this too. You can be upset but no need to tear down other women.”
Even popular TikTok creator Jen Hamilton chimed in and added, “Looks like they made the right choice. Being a pageant queen is more than connections and clout.”
Shavana addressed Gabriella’s comments in a TikTok video of her own.
“I was saddened by the statements made in that video, not just for myself, but for all the beautiful and incredible women that competed in Miss Connecticut USA this year,” Shavana said. “I definitely empathize with the disappointment of losing. This was my third time competing in the Miss USA system, and us women put our energy, our time, our resources, our money into pageant prep and into pageant weekend.
The pageant winner ended her message by saying, “All of that said, I do not endorse the bullying that I’ve seen in Gabriella’s comment section. As someone who has experienced the negative effects of bullying, I don’t believe that anyone deserves that kind of hate, especially on social media.”
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