The 30-year-old lost her title as Miss Universe Argentina and was expelled from the society by the Miss Universe Organization.
The 2024 Miss Universe competitor who competed for Argentina lost her crown after alleging that the November beauty pageant was “fixed”. Contestant Magali Benejam, who finished 12th in the competition, implied in a live YouTube broadcast that the 2024 Miss Universe final results were dubious. She said that the competition was “fixed” and implied that the whole event was a hoax. The 30-year-old also attacked Victoria Kjaer Theilvig, a 21-year-old Dane who won the pageant, claiming that she had known she would win ten days earlier.
The New York Post reported that Ms. Benejam said, “I saw the judges looking at each other in (strange) ways when they announced the Top 5.” They began to exchange glances as though to convey the message, ‘This is not what we picked, this is not what I chose.'” I responded, “Okay, this is fixed,” since that’s how it appeared from the outside. Every year, it was fixed,” she continued.
Ms. Benejam also chastised Miss Puerto Rico Jennifer Colon and Victoria Kjaer Theilvig. “The Danish winner had at least three security guards with her during the last days of the competition, so she knew she was going to win,” she said. She added that she was even informed that the decision had been made ten days earlier.
Ms. Benejam continued by accusing Ms. Colon of wearing the “worst gown of the night” and being unfriendly.
The Miss Universe Organization responded to Ms. Benejam’s remarks in a timely manner. The 30-year-old lost her title as Miss Universe Argentina and was expelled from the community.
“The Miss Universe Organization Announces the Withdrawal of the Miss Universe Argentina Title from Miss Magali Benejam,” the organization said in a statement. “After a thorough review of recent public comments made by Miss Magali Benejam, and based on our core principles, we have decided to withdraw immediately the title of Miss Universe Argentina from Miss Benejam,” it said.
Participants, the organization further emphasized, must embody “unwavering principles” such as diversity, inclusivity, and appreciating every person “regardless of their backgrounds, beliefs, or experiences.”
“The decision comes after careful consideration and aligns with our commitment to uphold the highest standards of personal and professional conduct,” said the statement. “We want to emphasize that this action is taken to protect the integrity of the organization and the opportunities it provides to women around the world,” it continued.
