Karolina Shiino, the Ukraine-born winner of last month's Miss Japan contest, renounced the title after a weekly magazine revealed her relationship with a married man, BBC reported. The 26-year-old model who was born in Ukraine, but raised in Japan stirred up controversy after winning the title of Miss Japan 2024 last month. Many questioned how "Miss Japan" could be awarded to someone who is not of Japanese descent.
Amid the debate, Shukan Bunshun weekly magazine published a story about a relationship she was having with a married influencer and doctor named Takuma Maeda. The pageant organisers initially defended Ms. Shiino, saying she hadn't known the man was married. However, later, it came to light that she'd dated him knowing he was married and that she apologised for misleading them.
As per Japan Times, her model agency Free Wave said on Monday that the doctor initially said he was single, but Ms Shiino continued the relationship even after she came to know that he was married.
"I am truly sorry for the huge trouble I have caused and for betraying those who supported me," she apologised on Instagram. She added that she had been ''unable to speak the truth due to confusion and fear,'' after the magazine article came out.
In a statement on its website on Monday, the Miss Japan Association said it had accepted her request to relinquish her title and ''seriously reflects on our responsibility in bringing about the series of disturbances''. The association also offered its "deep apologies" to concerned parties, including sponsors and judges.
The Miss Japan title will now remain vacant for the rest of the year, marking a rare occurrence in the pageant's history.
Notably, Ms Shiino moved to Japan when she was five years old, following her mother's remarriage to a Japanese man. She declared herself to be Japanese in "speech and mind," and her goal was to establish a culture in which "people are not judged by their appearance."
"I've had to face barriers that often prevent me from being accepted as Japanese, so I am filled with gratitude to be recognised at this competition as a Japanese person," the 26-year-old said in her speech at the Miss Japan Gran Prix pageant.
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