Fans online are going wild after a newly crowned pageant winner called out her abuser on stage and didn’t let him take away her spotlight.
Alexis Smith, who rightfully represents Miss Kansas, made headlines when she used her voice to raise awareness of domestic violence when she was chosen to represent the Sunflower State at next year’s Miss America pageant.
The 25-year-old won her title on June 8 at Pratt Community College and decided it was her moment to use her voice for good when she spotted a familiar face within the crowd.
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Smith, who is a cardiothoracic ICU nurse, didn’t hold back during her speech, which she posted to her own X account shortly after.
She said into the microphone: “My vision as the next Miss Kansas is to eliminate unhealthy and abusive relationships.
“Some of you out in this audience saw me very emotional because my abuser is here today.
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“But that’s not going to stop me from being on this Miss Kansas stage and from representing as the next Miss Kansas because I, and my community, deserve healthy relationships.”
As soon as she uttered her final words, the crowd went wild, and people cheered for her bravery.
She realized when she was on stage that her abuser came to the pageant to ‘disrupt my peace’ and wasn’t about to let that go down without a fight.
Posting to her Facebook page, she explained: “On the night of Miss Kansas, my journey took an unexpected turn when someone I have been healing from tried to disrupt my peace.
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“Instead of falling into silence, I chose to live out my vision for a better world. I took back the power — not just for myself, but for my dreams and everyone watching and listening.”
However, she went on to say that she wasn’t trying to promote ‘shunning others’, just to help others to turn their ‘pain into purpose and channeling it in a way that unifies and uplifts.’
Social media users were quick to congratulate her bravery and speech, taking to commenting underneath her post to share their thoughts.
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One person wrote: “I could not love this anymore. You ARE an inspiration Miss Alexis Smith & Thank You for standing strong & true to yourself.”
She also went on to receive recognition from the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence, due to her speech.
Smith later went on to disclose that everyone in her family had been through an abusive relationship and told KSNW: “At the age of 14, I got in my first relationship, but it was also an abusive relationship that I was in until about 2018, 2019.
“It’s something that I’m still experiencing and dealing with today.”
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She added: “And me, being a woman who needed that empowerment all my life, being a bystander to domestic violence, a victim, a survivor, and now an advocate as well as a young woman who is educationally driven, I have the opportunity not only to share my story on such a large scale but also go back to school.”
UNILAD reached out to Miss America pageants for comment.
Topics: Crime, Sex and Relationships, US News, Domestic Abuse, Twitter
Britt Jones