A teenage beauty queen in Texas is suing to keep her crown, after she was stripped of her title for—in part—gaining weight. Domonique Ramirez, 17, won the local pageant in April, but was informed last month that the runner-up would take her place as Miss San Antonio—meaning the runner-up, not Ramirez, would advance to the Miss Texas pageant. For now, a judge has stopped the pageant promoters from formally stripping Ramirez’s title, ABC News reports.
The board also claims Ramirez violated other terms of her contract, including showing up late or not attending required events. But the board spokesperson has specifically talked about the weight issue: "She was doing a photo shoot and asked to wear her wardrobe from the competition, but it did not fit her. I told her we need to get you on an exercise program. We need to get ready to compete for Miss Texas, just like any elite athlete.” Ramirez’s lawyer calls the pageant’s reasons for replacing his client “total lies.”
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