We’re about a week out from the Miss Universe 2015 pageant shenanigans and we’ve already seen Miss Colombia respond gracefully and Steve Harvey poke fun at himself. But we haven’t heard from Miss Universe herself, at least until recently. Former Miss Philippines and current Miss Universe winner Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach recently went to social media to address Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez and give her some props for how she handled the situation. Here’s what she had to say:
To Ariadna, you are an amazing woman and we are now bonded together forever by a unique experience. In the last 3 weeks we were together, I saw how strong and beautiful you are inside and out. You represented your country with honor and I know how proud everyone must be of you. Fate has a plan for you, and I’m excited to see what’s ahead.
Obviously, Pia ended up coming out ahead as the actual winner of Miss Universe, so she would have no real reason to be a jerk in public to Miss Colombia, however, her statement above is still a nice gesture, and a classy one to boot. Although she didn’t have to address the controversy at all, the pageant winner chose to explain her feelings about the Miss Universe 2015 occurrences, as well as (hopefully) boost Ariana’s confidence following what happened.
Because what happened was not all that great. If you somehow have missed out on last week’s nightmarish flub, Steve Harvey accidentally announced Miss Colombia the winner. Colombia, who was really the first runner-up, stood on the stage with the crown on her head for a full two minutes before anyone corrected Steve Harvey. He eventually realized what had happened and came back onstage, explaining that the card revealing the winner hadn’t been laid out in the most user-friendly manner, prompting him to make a giant mistake.
Pia didn’t just address Ariadna on Facebook. As an ambassador of goodwill, she also spoke out to the many people who have been uncharitable online regarding the flub, stating that now is the time to turn a new corner.
And to all the fans who are still fighting about this…Please let's all stop now. The Miss Universe Organization is about uniting empowered women from all over the world. Arguing and sending hateful messages to each other defeats the whole purpose. You believe in the message of Miss Universe and so do I.
So, the matter is pretty well laid to rest. At least until next year, as it seems highly likely Steve Harvey will be back as the host of Miss Universe 2016. Something tells me he won’t be skipping rehearsals this time around.
