FORMER Miss Universe Catriona Gray (2018) issued a statement recently asking netizens to stop creating controversies or issues between her and fellow Miss Universe winner Pia Wurtzbach (2015) and other beauty queens.
In an article on PEP.ph, Gray agreed with comments made by Wurtzbach in an earlier social media post where Pia vehemently denied that she and a team associated with her are responsible for unsavory comments and posts being thrown Catriona’s way.
“I love that she spoke up about it because, honestly, there’s no issue between us as individuals or even between other queens,” Gray said. “It’s just really unfortunate that other people are craving issues and comparisons, and kind of putting us at war with each other when, in reality, there’s no such thing. And it would be nice for that kind of perceptions or conversations [to stop and just] celebrate each other.”
Catriona added that pageant enthusiasts and beauty queen fans should follow the examples set by their pageantry favorites who all support each other.
Photo from Instagram/@piawurtzbach
“We all do celebrate each other. Maybe not in the most public of ways, but we’re all communicating with each other and we support each other. So, I think it’s just unfortunate that there continues to be that false narrative of, ‘Oh, because she didn’t like this post or because she didn’t speak on this…’ Or because of whatever reason that’s created, there’s this perception or this story or this narrative that they created that pits us against each other. And it’s completely false,” Gray was quoted as saying.
Instead of finding flaws in other beauty queens or creating face friction among their favorites, fans and followers should celebrate the successes and accomplishments of all pageantry contestants and winners as they are all determined to lift each other.
“I don’t think that’s what pageantry is about. Pageantry is about celebrating and lifting up each other,” Gray explained. “It is never been about, ‘How can I find the flaws in this person? How can I pull them down?’ It’s never been about that.”
She added: “Yes, it’s a competition, but the essence and the heart of pageantry is not about pitting women against each other. It’s about celebrating them.”
Catriona and Pia might see each other soon as Wurtzbach is set to be one of the co-hosts of the Miss Universe Philippines 2022 coronation night on Saturday, April 30. Gray has also received an invitation to attend the event which will be held at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
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Nadine Lustre has learned to love the internet title that her fans have given her, although she admits it took some time. It was reportedly started in 2017 as a joke among fans, dubbing her as the internet’s president.
In an article in Inquirer.net, Nadine admitted that she was at first befuddled being called “President Nadine” in a recent interview with TV host Bianca Gonzales, but now feels as though it is an acknowledgment of her voice.
“Before, I really didn’t understand it. Every time people would call me that parang [I was like] ‘Why are people calling me that?’ I always found it so weird. Now, honestly it makes me feel loved,” Lustre was quoted as saying.
When asked on becoming used to the title, she answered: “Because every time people say that or every time people call me that, it’s a sort of acknowledgement that I’m someone people look up to, or someone that people listen to — that my voice is heard.”
Nadine also admitted to feeling some pressure over the internet title.
“There’s also a bit of pressure because I’m very vocal about a lot of things so I guess I have to think about what I tweet or what I say on social media, even with what I do,” the actress stated. “I mean, it’s not like I’m gonna do bad things but you get what I mean, there’s a bit of pressure. But I like it because ‘yun nga [like what I’ve said], I’m acknowledged.”
