Well, this isn’t a pretty allegation.
A Miss Florida contestant who won the beauty competition in July but was stripped of her title days later has filed a $15 million lawsuit, claiming that she was subjected to a “false, malicious and defamatory public-smearing campaign, causing humiliation and embarrassment” to her.
In her suit, filed in circuit court in Florida on Monday, Genesis Davila named Miss Florida pageant owner IMG Universe, pageant producer Tel-Air Interests and executive director Grant Gravitt Jr.
Davila claims that, days after being crowned, she was called to Tel-Air’s offices, where Gravitt “began to scream at her, asserting that she had lied, was a ‘cheater,’ and stating that he would ‘take her down.’”
According to the suit, Gravitt first claimed that Davila, a citizen of Puerto Rico who had lived in Miami for more than 18 months, had lied about being a U.S. citizen.
After an immigration lawyer affirmed that Davila was, in fact, qualified to compete, the lawsuit says, Gravitt claimed that Davila had “lied and cheated” by using an unauthorized vendor to help with her hair and makeup during the pageant, claiming as evidence a photo that was taken a week prior to the pageant, Davila claims.
The lawsuit claims that Gravitt was working, at least in part, out of prejudice.
“Gravitt’s ever-changing and unsupported reasons for stripping Plaintiff of her title and crown of Miss Florida is financially motivated and due to his … overt prejudice against Puerto Ricans,” the complaint reads.
IMG has not yet responded to TheWrap’s request for comment.
Davila claims breach of contract (oral and implied in fact) and intentional infliction of emotional stress.
Davila is seeking damages “at the maximum legal rate in an amount in excess of $15 million.”