Miss Colombia Says Steve Harvey’s Miss Universe Mistake Might Have Been on Purpose

Miss Colombia Says Steve Harvey’s Miss Universe Mistake Might Have Been on Purpose
Former Miss Universe Paulina Vega (C) takes away the flowers and sash from Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez (L) before giving it to Miss Philippines Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach (R) at the Miss Universe pageant in Las Vegas on Dec. 20. AP Photo/John Locher
Zachary Stieber
Updated:

Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez says that the Miss Universe pageant was rigged to crown her before switching the crown to another contestant in order to generate higher ratings.

Gutierrez was announced as the winner by host Steve Harvey before he rushed forward to say he'd made a mistake in reading the card, and Miss Philippines Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach had actually won.

Speculation was rampant and included the theory that the pageant organizers had ordered the gaffe to happen to boost ratings.

Gutierrez suggested that she believes the theory might be true. 

“If that was the goal, they succeeded,” she said during an interview with Colombia’s W radio.

Steve Harvey holds up the card showing the winners after he incorrectly announced Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez as the winner at the Miss Universe pageant on Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015, in Las Vegas. Miss Philippines Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach was named Miss Universe. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Steve Harvey holds up the card showing the winners after he incorrectly announced Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez as the winner at the Miss Universe pageant on Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015, in Las Vegas. Miss Philippines Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach was named Miss Universe. AP Photo/John Locher

 

Miss Colombia also said the antics were a slap in the face to her heritage.

“It was very humiliating for me, but also for the whole country and for all the people not only from Colombia but the other Latinos that were in the auditorium,” she said.

Donald Trump, who previously owned Miss Universe, said afterward that Miss Colombia and Miss Philippines should have been crowned co-winners due to the situation.

“For the first time, I agree with him,” said Gutierrez. 

But a Miss Universe judge had indicated that wasn’t an option, explaining why Wurtzbach was crowned. 

 

 
Zachary Stieber
Zachary Stieber
Senior Reporter
Zachary Stieber is a senior reporter for The Epoch Times based in Maryland. He covers U.S. and world news. Contact Zachary at [email protected]
twitter
truth