Miss Universe Vietnam 2017 H’Hen Nie made a peace offer following her ‘falling victim’ to a mean joke by three other contestants, including an American beauty queen, during their current run at the Miss Universe 2018 competition in Thailand.
Followers of Miss Universe 2018 have been angered by a live-streamed video featuring Miss USA 2018 Sarah Rose Summers over the past few days.
In the video posted on Instagram, Summers, 24, imitated the Vietnamese beauty H’Hen Nie’s impression, while saying, “She’s so cute and she pretends to know so much English.”
“You ask her a question and after having a whole English conversation with her, she goes…,” Summers said, adopting a placid smile and starting nodding in an impression of Nie.
“She’s adorable,” Summers added, repeating the impression of Nie and laughing.
Miss Vietnam was not the only victim of Summers’ controversial comments as the American candidate and two of her fellow competitors, Colombia’s Valeria Morales and Australia’s Francesca Hung, also mocked Miss Cambodia Nat Rern for not speaking English.
Summers looked at the camera of the video, asking “Could you imagine? Miss Cambodia is here and doesn’t speak any English, and not a single other person speaks her language… Poor Cambodia.”
Morales and Hung responded to this comment by shaking their heads sympathetically.
As the video went viral and a swift backlash went on, Summers apologized by posting a photo capturing Summers and Rern, and Hung and Nie, in pairs, hugging each other, on her Instagram account on Thursday.
In her caption for the photo, she said that she had spoken about the issue with both Rern and Nie and apologized for her comments.
“In a moment where I intended to admire the courage of a few of my sisters, I said something that I now realize can be perceived as not respectful, and I apologize,” the caption reads.
“I would never intend to hurt another. I am grateful for opportunities to speak with Nat, Miss Cambodia, and H’Hen, Miss Vietnam, directly about this experience.”
Whether Summers’ comments were intentional or not, the Vietnamese representative to Miss Universe 2018 decided to hold out the olive branch, instead of demanding an eye for an eye, upon this apology.
Nie appeared to reply to Summers’ actions in a post in English, using the same photo, on her Instagram account on the same day, saying “We all did the great job on the stage tonight! Sleep well and tomorrow will be brighter, my girls. Hugs and kisses. We are a family.”
The Miss Vietnam was praised by online citizens for this embracing behavior.
A screenshot captures Miss Universe Vietnam 2017 H’Hen Nie’s post on Instagram on December 13, 2018.
In the same manner, Miss Australia Francesca Hung, one of the three contestants in the controversial video, also uploaded a photo of the five candidates involved where H’Hen Nie kissed Miss USA on her cheek, adding a heart emoji in her caption.
Despite the controversy, Miss Universe Vietnam 2017 H’Hen Nie still wowed viewers with her strut, especially a skillful turn to show off her yellow dress, in the Miss Universe 2018 semifinal on Thursday night.
This outstanding performance immediately cast H’Hen Nie the spotlight of media.
A lot of praise from international audience, former Miss Universe winners, and global beauty magazines, was given to the representative of Vietnam.
After the semifinal, the contestants will continue the sidelines before entering the final on December 17.
Bao Anh report on Tuoitrenews