After Rachel Gupta resigns as Miss Grand International 2024 due to 'toxic environment', organisers break their silence, says she's ...

Model Rachel Gupta announced on Instagram on Wednesday that she has stepped down from her Miss Grand International 2024 title. However, her announcement quickly sparked controversy, as the pageant organisers countered her claim, stating that she had, in fact, been officially terminated.

In her post, the 21-year-old shared that she had endured a toxic environment and faced repeated broken promises. She described her decision to resign as difficult but ultimately necessary for her well-being. 

“Being crowned was one of the most cherished dreams of my life,” Rachel Gupta wrote, “but the months following it have been filled with broken promises, mistreatment, and a toxic environment I can no longer endure in silence.”

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Rachel Gupta (@_rachelgupta)

She added that she would soon share her full story in a video, writing in the caption: “The truth will come out very soon.” “To all my supporters around the world: I’m truly sorry if this news has disappointed you. Please know this wasn’t an easy decision, but it was the right one for me,” Rachel Gupta wrote in her announcement.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by MU Trends (@missuniversetrends)

She also shared a glimpse of her post, hinting that more details would follow soon. While Rachel Gupta cited a toxic environment and broken promises as her reasons for stepping down, the Miss Grand International (MGI) Organisation offered a different narrative. In an official statement posted on social media, MGI announced that Gupta had been formally terminated from her title.

The organisation accused her of not fulfilling her responsibilities, engaging in unauthorised outside projects, and declining to participate in an official trip to Guatemala.

“The Miss Grand International Organisation hereby announces the termination of Miss Rachel Gupta's title as Miss Grand International 2024, effective immediately,” the statement read. The organisation further instructed Gupta to return the crown to the MGI Head Office within 30 days.

Rachel Gupta was crowned Miss Grand International 2024 on October 25, becoming the first Indian to win the title. Her historic achievement also earned her the Grand Pageants Choice Award, putting her in the league of iconic beauty queens like Lara Dutta, Miss Universe 2000.