Newly crowned Miss Universe Nigeria, Chidimma Adetshina, has addressed the backlash following her win, stating that it wasn’t a pity victory. In an interview with Arise News on Friday, Adetshina emphasized that she worked hard to earn her title despite the criticism.
“A lot of people felt like it was a pity win. I don’t think so. I feel like I really worked so hard, coming from the South Africa journey. We spent like 10 weeks, camp, going through the whole journey.
“It might have been a slight difference compared to everybody else, but if you have to look at the journey that we have all been through, I feel like I really had the same experience with other contestants.” she explained.
Adetshina had earlier withdrawn from South Africa’s beauty pageant in August 2024 due to allegations of fraud and identity theft involving her mother. After facing xenophobic backlash and rejection, she accepted an invitation to participate in Miss Universe Nigeria, where she ultimately emerged as the winner.
A Lot Of People Thought It Was A Pity Win, But I Worked Hard – Chidimma Adetshina
The journey might have been slightly different compared to everyone else, but looking back, I feel I had the same experience as the other ladies.
Miss Universe Nigeria, Chidimma Adetshina pic.twitter.com/9x7BEaodZv
— ARISE NEWS (@ARISEtv) September 7, 2024