Alexis Smith may have been crowned Miss Kansas in June, but her answer to the pageant’s final interview question is getting new attention after she posted it to Instagram earlier this month. Asked what her vision for the Miss Kansas organization would be if she won, Smith said she would fight to end domestic violence and revealed that her abuser was in the audience.
“My vision as the next Miss Kansas is to eliminate unhealthy and abusive relationships,” Smith said. “Matter of fact, some of you out in this audience saw me very emotional because my abuser is here today. But that’s not going to stop me from being on this Miss Kansas stage and from representing as the next Miss Kansas because I and my community deserve healthy relationships.”
Smith didn’t identify her abuser, but on Instagram, she wrote that on the night of the pageant, her “journey took an unexpected turn when someone I have been healing from tried to disrupt my peace.” She added, “Instead of falling into silence, I chose to live out my vision for a better world. I took back my power — not just for myself, but for my dreams and everyone watching and listening.” Smith clarified that sharing her experience wasn’t “about shunning others” but about “turning our pain into purpose and channeling it in a way that unifies and uplifts.”
The pageant Smith competed in is part of the Miss America competition, which is different from the Miss USA one. In May, the latter made headlines when two winners turned in their crowns and resigned from their roles within days of each other. Miss USA 2023 Noelia Voigt accused the Miss USA organization of fostering “a toxic work environment” and claimed that its CEO and president, Laylah Rose, didn’t take an incident of sexual harassment seriously. Meanwhile, Miss Teen USA 2023 UmaSofia Srivastava said she was moving on because her “personal values no longer fully align with the direction of the organization.”
Smith will go on to compete in the Miss America pageant in January. Her post was flooded with messages of support and comments from people who have lived through similar experiences. Smith ended her post, “I might be small in stature, but I stand tall in strength, purpose, and power with hopes of inspiring others to do the same.”
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