Christine Juliane "CJ" Hinkle Opiaza is set to become the first Filipina crowned Miss Grand International (MGI), following the controversial dethronement of India's Rachel Gupta.
Opiaza, who originally finished as first runner-up, will officially assume the title at a coronation event scheduled for June 3 at 2 p.m. in MGI Hall, Bangkok, Thailand, according to an announcement by the Miss Grand International (MGI) Organization late Thursday.
"Time tells all. The crown has found its queen," read the official MGI statement posted on social media. "Join us for the official coronation of Miss Grand International 2024 — Christine Juliane Opiaza, the first-ever Grand Queen from the #Philippines. Be part of this historic moment."
Opiaza also marked the occasion on Instagram, sharing photos in a red gown by designer Francis Libiran and writing, "Rising from the golden ashes is a Phoenix who is ready for a comeback to conquer the grandest heights."
"I am Christine Juliane Opiaza, Miss Grand International 2024 from the Philippines," she added.
The organization's decision to revoke Gupta's title stems from a series of alleged violations and failures to meet contractual obligations.
Also on Thursday, MGI released a "Chronological Summary" detailing the reasons behind Gupta's removal.
Among the cited incidents was an unauthorized sponsorship deal, in which Gupta reportedly contacted Nana Hospital, a plastic surgery facility in Korea, to arrange cosmetic procedures for her family without informing MGI. The summary also mentioned an unverified claim of losing $1,000 in Thailand, delays in required payments and taxes, dubious expense reports, and misconduct during an assignment in the Czech Republic. She was also said to have issued legal threats and misrepresented her departure from the organization as a resignation.
MGI's initial statement on May 28 declared that Gupta's reign had ended "effective immediately" due to "failure to fulfill her assigned duties."
Gupta responded shortly after with a statement saying she had chosen to "step down as Miss Grand International 2024 and return my crown."
Despite being just seven months into her reign, she cited "broken promises, mistreatment, and toxic environment" as reasons for her decision, later elaborating in a nearly hour-long video on YouTube titled "The Truth About Miss Grand International – My Story."
In the video, Gupta shared her account of what she described as mistreatment during her time in Thailand.
"They didn't give me any way of getting around so I'm basically stuck in the house until they decide they need me for something. They did not give me access to a Thai phone number or anything so I had to go and buy a phone over there," she said.
"They did not provide me any food at all... [I thought] maybe I can go grocery shop and cook for myself, but there are no pots and pans [in the house]. I said, 'I'm vegetarian, can you at least make sure that the fridge is stocked with fruits so I can just cut it and eat it?' I had to order food every single day... It would take two hours to come because it's so far away," she recalled.
Gupta also criticized the organization's direction, saying she was expected to sell products on TikTok instead of focusing on advocacy work.
"They made us sell these cheap tacky products on TikTok, like we're sales girls. I mean you've crowned queens. We have careers in our country, we do things, we're well-respected. And they're making us sell cheap products on TikTok because it makes them money. And you can't say no because the boss has asked you to do it," she said.
"[I'm] a speaker who wants to talk about issues, who wants to create change in the world, who has so many ideas not just for business but for philanthropic work. And you want her to sell chili paste and chili sauce and random things on TikTok? Seriously?" She added.
She further accused the organization of ignoring its advocacy mission.
"Where is the advocacy work? I'm here, I'm ready to use my voice, I'm ready to work with an NGO (non-government organization). But they don't want to do that because it doesn't make money for them. And I've heard them say, like Nawat literally says that it's useless, that people don't care about it. 'It's not entertaining, and it doesn't make money, so we're not going to do it.'"
"I'm sorry, but it's not just about entertainment... That's not what pageantry is about. It's about being a global public figure that uses her voice for good, not these cheap entertainment tactics," she stressed.
Gupta said she endured months of pressure and threats of removal from the organization if she voiced her concerns.
"I was constantly harassed, manipulated, ignored, and left to fend for myself all while dealing with the intense and immense scrutiny of the public eye... These have been the hardest few months of my life," she said. "And I know that MGI, right now they will go to any lengths to defame, to malign my name and my image, and destroy my credibility. They will say anything."
MGI President Nawat Itsaragrisil, in a livestream on his personal page, countered Gupta's narrative by stating her exit was not voluntary.
"I told you we will terminate you already... when I sent the letter to you. We terminated you first and after like half an hour, you posted after me. You did not resign, I kicked you out," he said.
"You are not quality enough, you were never beautiful from the inside," he added.
Itsaragrisil also posted video footage of the house Gupta stayed in, challenging her claim that it was inadequate. He further shared a letter directing Gupta to delete all MGI-related content from her social media accounts.