Rachel Gupta cries, shares truth about Miss Grand International: 'Made to sell cheap products on TikTok like salesgirl'

Rachel Gupta said she was subjected to constant comments about her body, including an incident where a representative pinched her and told her to lose weight.

Rachel Gupta, the 21-year-old winner of Miss Grand International 2024, has been at the centre of controversy after announcing her resignation from the title. On May 28, Rachel took to Instagram to share that she's stepping down due to a 'toxic environment and repeated unkept promises' during her reign as Miss Grand International 2024. On May 29, she took to her YouTube channel to share a video of herself, which she titled 'The Truth about Miss Grand International - My Story'.

21-year-old Rachel Gupta was crowned Miss Grand International 2024 last year, becoming the first Indian to win the title. She has now stepped down from her position. (Instagram/ Rachel Gupta)

'Sell cheap, tacky products on TikTok because it makes them money'

While Miss Grand International Organisation has a different version of events and said that Rachel Gupta was officially terminated from her position, in the video, Rachel, narrated her experience over the past 7 months. From being made to lived in 'cramped' Thai hotel room for 1 month after her win and then being 'locked in a house all day long' with no food or basic amenities to being 'hounded about her weight all the time', Rachel made serious allegations against the Miss Grand International organisers.

She said, “Frankly they don't care if I live or die. As long as I'm there to smile at their events, as long as I keep my body super skinny, the way they like, they don't care if I live or die. They just want me to be there, to go on TikTok Live and make money for them and show up at their events. That's it, that's all they want from me... I realised they would never, never support me, and I was completely on my own... they made us sell. You guys know they made us sell these cheap, tacky products on TikTok like we were salesgirls. You've crowned queens, girls who have careers in our country, we do things, we're well respected, and they're making us sell cheap products on TikTok because it makes them money and you can't say no.”

'Their representative started pinching me in different places'

Rachel also slammed the organisation for promoting unrealistic beauty standards and body shaming her, which led to her low self-esteem and mental health issues. She said she had to buy herself food and struggled with taking care of her health and fitness.

She said, “I asked them I need access to a gym because obviously, you have to keep taking care of yourself, like that's the job,. But they didn't arrange that for me. I had to beg and beg for them to give me a yoga mat... at the same time they were hounding me and constantly talking about my weight and my body all the time. I remember one time, they sent their representative to me and he just comes up to me and he starts pinching me in different places and he's like 'Oh you need to lose weight here, you need to lose weight here'. What am I supposed to say to that? It's so embarrassing. It makes you feel so small and so bad. I understand, obviously I have to stay fit for the job I have, and stay in shape, but it's so difficult when you don't have access to anything and you're just locked in a house, basically all day long.”

In the video, Rachel also said that countries could pay for votes during Miss Grand International 2024 pageant, and the organisation accepted these payments, creating unfair competition. She also expressed concerns about the organisation's handling of serious issues, including a case of sexual harassment reported by a former titleholder.

She wrote in her YouTube caption, “It's taken a lot of courage to speak so openly and honestly, but I truly hope this helps girls who share the dream I once had. While my story may polarize you, I urge you to keep the focus on the issues that matter. I have screenshots and receipts for everything, but am not willing to stoop to that level. People who believe me will do so regardless of proof. It is not easy to give back what you fought so hard to achieve but my decision to step down is based on integrity and self-respect. Thank you for listening to me and supporting me.”

The 21-year-old model from Jalandhar was crowned Miss Grand International 2024 last year, becoming the first Indian to win the title.