Miss Universe 2024, Danish beauty Victoria Kjaer Theilvig, was criticized for lip-syncing to a rap containing racist words.

Victoria Kjaer Theilvig on the Empire State Building.

Last week, the new beauty queen shared a TikTok video from the top of the Empire State Building in New York, USA. The video shows Victoria wearing the Miss Universe crown, enthusiastically singing along to the hit Empire State of Mind by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys. The 21-year-old beauty raps, in which she uses a term that is considered derogatory to people of color. The word can be used by black Americans as a term of endearment but is taboo with white people.

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New Miss Universe sings along to ‘Empire State of Mind’

Many people commented on Victoria Kjaer Theilvig, demanding that she be stripped of her crown: “You’re not allowed to say the N-word…”; “I feel like she needs to be dethroned. An apology is not enough”; “That’s it. The runner-up is about to be crowned”; “Oh my god, how can she sing like that with that crown on her head”…

Meanwhile, fans said the beauty queen was not at fault, she was just singing along to a popular song that suited the context. “She didn’t say the slur. She was just singing along to a popular song,” one commenter said. Empire State of Mind is a rap about New York, mentioning famous places and people in the city, expressing the city’s characteristics and spirit. The song topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and won two Grammy Awards in 2010.

The new Miss Universe is working in New York.

According to Dailymail , the new Miss Universe and the Miss Universe organization have not responded to the criticism. Some speculate that the organization’s leaders will not be concerned about this issue because the president Anne Jakapong Jakrajutatip has previously caused controversy with her comments on diversity and inclusion. In a leaked video from a conference room, the transgender billionaire Anne said that women who have transitioned, are married and have children can compete in Miss Universe but cannot win. Anne said the new policy was a communications strategy. After the video went viral, the Miss Universe organization confirmed that the video was taken out of context to distort the truth and that the organization is committed to honoring the beauty of individuals regardless of background or ethnicity.

Victoria Kjaer Theilvig arrived in New York last week with the Miss Universe organization after being crowned in Mexico on November 16. The beauty attended many activities there, including the lighting of the Empire State Building.

Danish beauty wins Miss Universe final in Mexico.

Victoria was born in 2003 in Denmark. She is 1.73 m tall, studying marketing and business, and is also a professional dancer and entrepreneur. She is considered to have won convincingly over 124 contestants in the final round of Miss Universe 2024 with her radiant beauty, dynamic style, presentation skills and intelligent behavior.