Miss SA Top 12 finalist Levern José has withdrawn from the beauty pageant after bullying allegations.
Last week, José was the centre of conversation on social media after several people claiming to be her former high schoolmates came forward, alleging she was a “ringleader of a bullying squad” several years ago.
Following the allegations, the organisation released a statement on Tuesday stating that José will no longer participate in the beauty pageant.
“The Miss South Africa organisation does not condone bullying of any kind. We accept Levern’s decision to pull out of the competition and respect her for owning her truth and focusing on her healing,” the organisation said in a statement.
The top 12 finalist hit back in a statement last week and explained that, as a survivor of bullying, she learnt how to protect herself from bullying during her school years.
“If my actions in protecting myself caused harm to anyone, I offer my sincere apologies. The pain of being a target has left an indelible mark on my heart, and I would never intentionally cause hurt or contribute to someone else’s suffering,” she said.
“Kindness, respect and empathy have always been my guiding principles and I have unwaveringly worked to adhere to these values. It deeply troubles me that such grave accusations could be levelled against me. While I firmly believe in my own accountability and responsibility, I also hold steadfastly to the principles of fairness and justice,” said José.
José is not the first Miss South Africa contestant to withdraw from the running. In 2020, Bianca Schoombee withdrew her entry after racist and crude tweets she made years earlier surfaced.
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