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Kristhielee Caride, Puerto Rico Miss Universe Contestant, Stripped Of Crown Over Bad Attitude [Video]

By Toni Matthews
Published on: 23:05 PST, Mar 18, 2016

Was it a bad attitude or a bad day? Whatever the cause, it left 24-year-old beauty queen Kristhielee Caride stripped of her Miss Puerto Rico crown — and minus a chance to represent the U.S. territory in the Miss Universe pageant. So what exactly caused Caride to get “dethroned?”

According to the New York Daily News, Kristhielee was stripped of the crown for what can only be described as diva-like behaviors.

“Kristhielee Caride, who was named Puerto Rico’s Miss Universe 2016 four months ago, was stripped of her title Thursday because she was flippant during interviews, said she didn’t love cameras and skipped appearances for doctors’ appointments, officials said.”

Apparently, nobody informed Kristhielee Caride that being filmed and having your picture taken comes with the territory of holding onto a beauty pageant crown. Often, these ladies have stacked schedules, during which time they’re always expected to conduct themselves in a charming and respectful manner. Failure to live up to image-related standards can result in a form of disqualification — as Kristhielee has just found out.

The Telegraph reports the decision to remove Caride from Miss Universe contention stemmed from a particularly embarrassing interview with a local paper. Desiree Lowry, the national director of Miss Universe Puerto Rico, was present for the event. Lowry claimed the behavior Kristhielee Caride was simply so cringe-worthy, “I wanted the earth to swallow me.”

Allegedly, Kristhielee never apologized for her poor behavior, which the Latin Times reports was captured on video and eventually went viral. In addition to this particular incident, Caride had also failed to show up for other interviews, getting out of them by claiming to have a doctor’s appointment. She refused to reschedule interviews she missed. For Desiree, this pattern of behavior simply wasn’t acceptable.

“I saw the damage that this girl was doing to herself and to the organization. I didn’t understand why she acted that way.”

Kristhielee Caride has since responded to being stripped of her crown, indicating that she didn’t agree with the decision and seemingly blaming it all on one “bad day.”

“[I] hope my experience serves so other girls and pageant organizers can learn.”

“With dignity I accept giving away my title as ambassador of our island as the organizers and director Desiree Lowry have asked, without agreeing with the decision made, but I will always remember that night of November 12 when I won the title and all the experiences and lovely memories for having been Miss Universe Puerto Rico 2016.”

Bad day or not, Desiree Lowry said that beauty pageant contestants “always have to put [their] best face forward,” adding that it’s “a given” that young women like Caride will have to be in front of cameras and do various interviews. Yes, even when they don’t feel like it.

Apparently, Kristhielee Caride will become the first Puerto Rico Miss Universe contestant ordered to hand in her crown and sash before a Miss Universe competition. In 1994, Brenda Robles was dismissed because of a pregnancy. When a comparison was made between their situations, Robles was quick to point out that their situations were not the same. In a statement (translated from Spanish), Brenda remarked that she was still “Miss Puerto Rico 1994,” and that stepping down because of a pregnancy isn’t the same as being removed over a bad attitude.

Brenda Robles did seem to have some sympathy for Kristhielee Caride, understanding what it’s like to be at the center of an overwhelming amount of attention. She said that she felt sorry for Caride who worked very hard to have the opportunity to be Miss Puerto Rico.

Caride’s misfortune has transformed into someone else’s golden opportunity. The new Puerto Rico Miss Universe contestant will be Brenda Jimenez, who said she has not “fully processed the information.”

[Image via Kristhielee Caride’s Instagram]

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