Miss Grand International Winner Rachel Gupta Resigns, Citing Toxic Environment and Pageant Exploitation

The 21-year-old claimed she endured a toxic environment, body shaming, and unfulfilled promises by the pageant's organizers

Rachel Gupta, the first Indian woman to win the Miss Grand International crown, has officially stepped down from her title just eight months after her historic win, citing a toxic environment, body shaming, and exploitation within the organization.

The 21-year-old Indian model and actress relinquished her crown following a series of alleged traumatic experiences during her reign, which began in October 2024. In a 56-minute video titled "The Truth About Miss Grand International – My Story," Gupta emotionally recounted her ordeal, claiming she was repeatedly body shamed and mistreated by members of the organization.

In a 56-minute YouTube video called 'The Truth About Miss Grand International ¿ My Story,' the model broke down in tears as she shared her experience of her short reign

Among her allegations, Gupta described an incident where a representative allegedly pinched her body and instructed her to "lose weight here and here," calling the moment “so embarrassing” and saying it made her feel “so small and so bad.”

She also alleged she was forced to live in poor conditions—first in a cramped hotel room and later in a rundown house in Bangkok lacking basic amenities. According to Gupta, the organization failed to provide the financial and logistical support promised to her, forcing her family to step in and support her financially.

In response to her video, the Miss Grand International organization dismissed Gupta's claims as 'false, misleading, and defamatory,' in an Instagram post

Gupta further claimed that instead of fulfilling her expected pageant duties, she was made to act as a product promoter, selling low-quality items on TikTok. “They made us sell these cheap, tacky products like we were salesgirls,” she said.

In response, the Miss Grand International organization publicly denied her accusations, calling them “false, misleading, and defamatory.” The organization claimed Gupta’s video relied solely on “emotional appeals and tearful storytelling without any physical evidence.” To counter her claims, it released photographs of her accommodations and email correspondence allegedly showing support and resources provided to Gupta.

Rachel warned future contestants of systemic problems within the pageant, stating, 'I don't think they can ever change this'

The organization also accused her of failing to fulfill her responsibilities and seeking inappropriate privileges, including requests for free cosmetic surgery for family members. It officially terminated her title and announced that Christine Juliane Opiaza of the Philippines would be crowned as the new Miss Grand International on June 3.

Gupta ended her statement with a warning to future contestants: “I don’t think they can ever change this.”

Rachel Gupta, an Indian model and actress, who made history as the first Indian to win the Miss Grand International title in October 2024, has handed back her crow

Her resignation comes on the heels of a similar controversy involving England’s Miss World contestant, Milla Magee. Initially citing “personal reasons” for her abrupt departure from the 74th edition of the pageant in Hyderabad, Magee later revealed she left due to what she described as an “outdated” and “exploitative” environment. Magee, 24, said contestants were expected to appear in full makeup and evening gowns from morning to night, including during breakfast, and were used to entertain wealthy sponsors. “We had to sit like performing monkeys,” she said, adding that she felt “like a prostitute being farmed out for entertainment.”

Both Gupta and Magee’s public resignations have reignited criticism of global beauty pageants and their treatment of contestants.