Miss Florida Lost Her Crown, Now She Wants $15M

A beauty queen who had her sash and crown stripped from her last month is seeking $15 million in damages, People reports. Genesis Davila was named Miss Florida USA 2017 on July 16. Her reign lasted all of six days. Pageant executive director Grant Gravitt tells the Miami Herald he stripped Davila of her title after receiving "30 to 40 complaints" from other contestants. At issue is Davila possibly using her own professional hair and makeup team instead of the one provided by the pageant. Gravitt claims to have photographic proof of Davila breaking the rules.

By losing her crown, Davila also loses the chance to compete in the Miss USA 2017 pageant and at least $100,000 in "endorsements and appearances." Now she's suing Gravitt and the other organizers of Miss Florida 2017 for defamation. Her lawyer says that Gravitt's photographic evidence comes from a week before the pageant and that he "acted maliciously and intentionally to defame and hurt my client." Davila, who is from Puerto Rico, also claims Gravitt accused her of not being a US citizen, the Sun-Sentinel reports. "I am innocent," People quotes Davila as saying. "I have faced many challenges in my life, but nothing like this." (Six runners-up sued a beauty pageant in Texas over the winner.)