Social media users unearthed an account with Karlie Hay's name that featured the N-word in tweets from 2013 and 2014.
![Miss Texas Teen USA 2016 Karlie Hay reacts after being named a top five finalist during the 2016 Miss Teen USA Competition at The Venetian Las Vegas on Saturday.](https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/world/2016/08/01/miss-teen-usa-used-racist-language-on-twitter-in-latest-miss-universe-controversy/karly-hay-2.jpg.size.custom.crop.1086x763.jpg)
LAS VEGAS—Racist
language in old tweets from the freshly crowned Miss Teen USA is just
the latest controversy for the Miss Universe Organization, which
suffered a round of turmoil last year over then-owner Donald Trump’s
inflammatory comments against Mexicans.
The
new flap came over the weekend, shortly after 18-year-old Texan Karlie
Hay was crowned Miss Teen USA in Las Vegas on Saturday. Social media
users quickly unearthed an account with Hay’s name that featured the
N-word in tweets from 2013 and 2014, and the organization was forced
into damage control mode.
“The language
Karlie Hay used is unacceptable at any age and in no way reflects the
values of The Miss Universe Organization,” pageant officials said in a
statement, adding that Hay was “in a different place in her life” when
she posted the tweets. “Karlie learned many lessons through those
personal struggles that reshaped her life and values. We as an
organization are committed to supporting her continued growth.”
Miss
Universe officials pointed to an apology Hay posted on Twitter and
Instagram, in which she admitted using language that she wasn’t proud of
and “is not representative of who I am as a person.”
Not
all were satisfied with Miss Universe’s decision, with commenters
taking to the official Miss Teen USA Facebook page to argue Hay was a
poor representative of the organization and should lose her crown.
The
pageant empire has had a bumpy ride since last summer. Miss Universe
was co-owned by NBCUniversal and Republican presidential nominee Trump
until shortly after he made anti-immigrant remarks last year.
“They’re
sending people that have lots of problems,” Trump said about Mexico in a
speech announcing his presidential bid. “They’re bringing drugs,
they’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good
people.”
The Spanish-language network
Univision and NBC responded by cutting ties with Trump and saying they
wouldn’t broadcast the Miss Universe pageant. Trump ultimately bought
NBC’s stake, then sold the pageant to talent agency WME/IMG in
September.
The new owners have taken steps
to rebrand the Miss Teen USA pageant, including scrapping the swimsuit
competition and replacing it with an athletic wear segment. The move
drew praise from observers who said it emphasized strength instead of
physical appearance.
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