In a viral video that has stirred global discussion, former Miss Grand International 2024 Rachel Gupta has shared explosive claims about her time with the organization, calling it a “toxic, exploitative, and performative” experience that left her traumatized and disillusioned.

Gupta, the first Indian winner of Miss Grand International, said the crown brought not freedom and glamour — but isolation, fear, and emotional distress.

From triumph to turmoil

Opening her statement with raw emotion, Gupta described the aftermath of her coronation as “depressing and lonely.” What should have been a triumphant moment quickly turned into what she now calls “mental torture and systemic mistreatment.”

One of the more damning revelations is her claim that the pageant’s voting system favors countries that can afford to pay for support. “India didn’t buy votes,” she said. “I won because of the people — but that made me a problem.”

A crown with no comfort

Gupta alleged that she was first confined in a small hotel room for over a month before being relocated to a run-down home far from the city. She had no proper transport or food and had to cover her own expenses. Promises of a luxury penthouse and regular allowances allegedly never materialized.

“I only got paid the first month. After that, my family had to keep me afloat,” she said, adding that $1,000 disappeared from her accommodation — and she was blamed for the loss.

Gupta shared disturbing stories of body shaming, including an incident where a pageant official allegedly pinched her waist and told her to lose weight. She also referenced a former titleholder who once spoke up about sexual harassment, only to be dismissed.

“That told me everything I needed to know about how safe I was,” she said.

Central to Gupta’s testimony is what she called the “contract from hell”—an agreement that she claims stripped her of autonomy and left her vulnerable to abuse. She said the threat of dethronement was routinely used to keep her in line.

She also recounted a chaotic homecoming marred by changes in India’s national pageant leadership, which left her without support.

Missed opportunities, shallow advocacy

Despite her role as an international ambassador, Gupta said she was only sent on one official trip in seven months. Her charity proposals were allegedly ignored, and she claimed that the organization favored “selling cheap TikTok merchandise” over meaningful advocacy.

Rachel says her ideas — particularly a business pitch to spotlight Indian creators — were dismissed outright. Charity projects, too, were rejected because they “didn’t make money.”Gupta ended her video on a defiant note: “I feel free now. And for the first time in a long time, I feel heard.”

She urged fans and future contestants to critically examine the institutions they admire. “This isn’t about destroying a brand. It’s about demanding better — for the next girl, for all of us.”

As of this writing, the Miss Grand International Organization has yet to issue a formal response to the allegations.

Rachel Gupta’s story has amplified ongoing calls for reform within the beauty pageant industry, raising urgent questions about fairness, mental health, and the treatment of women in the global spotlight.