Chidimma Adetshina, the newly-crowned Miss Universe Nigeria, has addressed claims that her win was out of pity.
In response to criticism following her victory, Adetshina clarified during an interview with Arise News on Friday that her success was the result of hard work.
A lot of people believed my win was out of pity, but I disagree. I feel I truly worked hard, especially after my experience in South Africa. We spent around 10 weeks in camp, going through the entire process.
“It may have been slightly different for me compared to others, but when you consider the journey we all experienced, I believe I had the same challenges as the other contestants.”
According to the report, Adetshina had to withdraw from South Africa’s beauty pageant in August 2024 due to allegations of fraud and identity theft involving her mother.
Following xenophobic backlash and rejection because of her nationality, Chidimma accepted an invitation to participate in the Miss Universe Nigeria pageant, which she went on to win.
Watch the video below.
