A pageant Queen’s victory as Miss National American Alabama 2024 has been clouded by controversy, triggering umpteen discussions over cyberbullying and the title’s legitimacy.
Sara Milliken won the title in May after participating in the National American Miss (NAM) pageant. But critics questioned the validity of her title after media outlets began referring to her as “Miss Alabama.”
Highlights
- Sara Milliken's victory as Miss National American Alabama 2024 sparked controversy
- Confusion arose after media outlets wrongly referred to her as "Miss Alabama"
- Following her win, the 23-year-old winner faced widespread body-shaming and online negativity
- National American Miss (NAM) defended the win by saying Sara captivated the selection panel with her poise on stage and community service
News outlets began calling the 23-year-old makeup artist “Miss Alabama” when she actually took home the crown of a completely different title—“Miss National American Alabama 2024”—according to 1819news.
Sara Milliken, a 23-year-old makeup artist, was crowned Miss National American Alabama 2024 in May
Image credits: thenamalmiss / Instagram
Following the pageant winner’s misrepresentation, former Miss Alabama Amie Beth Shaver said she didn't even know what “this National American Miss” even was. She explained that there is only the Miss Alabama title, and the winners of that pageant are sent to compete in Miss America.
Another widely popular pageant is Miss USA, which sends its winners to compete in the Miss Universe pageant.
“Miss America now is 101 years old and then Miss USA, which goes on the Miss Universe pageant,” Amie told the outlet. “But this National American Miss, no one has heard of it. I don't even know what it is.”
The pageant winner was referred to as "Miss Alabama" by news outlets, sparking widespread confusion over different pageant titles
Image credits: thenamalmiss / Instagram
“If you are a pageant person, you're only going to participate in either Miss America or Miss USA,” she said and noted that the title of Miss Alabama is owned by Miss America, so using the same title for the lesser-known National American Miss pageant that Sara competed in would be wrong.
The title of Miss Alabama USA 2024 was won by Diane Westhoven, 21, this year, and she is expected to compete in the upcoming Miss USA contest in August.
The winner of Miss America Alabama 2024, who will be eligible to compete in the Miss Universe contest, is yet to be determined.
The Miss America Alabama 2024 winner addressed the flurry of body-shaming comments that came her way after her victory
Apart from the title confusion, Sara also had to endure a volley of body-shaming comments following her victory. Some of the things people were saying were "disgusting," said the pageant winner.
“It’s important to address the part of the story that didn’t air. When they first published the behind the scenes photo from this day, it received over 2,000 comments and was viewed over a million times,” she wrote in a June 6 post. “A lot of positive but a lot of negativity as well. The things some people were saying truly was disgusting. I choose not to dwell on that. However, there is an important [conversation] to be had and I feel that as a titleholder it would be extremely irresponsible for me not to address the 'second part' of this story.”
Sara said she felt "overwhelmed" and "anxious" by the internet's response to her winning the title
It is key to note that different pageants give importance to different categories. For instance, Miss USA includes a swimsuit competition, while Miss America does not have a swimsuit segment but focuses instead on interviews, talent shows, evening gown presentations, and physical fitness.
NAM, meanwhile, focuses more on the contestants’ confidence and interactive skills over their physical appearance, according to Marca.
Following the backlash that Sara received over her triumph, organizers of the NAM pageant explained that she took home the crown because of her "clear communication, poise on stage, and extensive community service."
“Pageants are not all the same. NAM is a pageant that encourages young women to live life without limits, and to boldly pursue their dreams,” NAM said in its statement.
National American Miss (NAM) released a statement and reminded people that all pageants are not the same and that they encourage women to "boldly pursue their dreams"
An “overwhelmed” and “anxious” Sara also released a message in light of the backlash to acknowledge “how big this story has gotten.”
“I mean it from the bottom of my heart when I say I have not allowed others to steal my sunshine. However, I am overwhelmed. I feel anxious just thinking about how big this story has gotten,” she wrote. “There is truly nothing that can prepare you for the things I have faced over the last few days. That is why I think it is so important for me to continue to prioritize my mental wellbeing over the next few days. I know this to shall pass. We will be back to ‘normal’ soon!”