Miss Kansas ran on a platform against domestic violence. Her abuser was in the audience the night she won, she said
Smith stunned the judges during her final interview at the Miss Kansas competition last month when she said that her abuser was in the audience.
It only reinforced the importance of her platform — “to eliminate unhealthy and abusive relationships.”
When asked about her vision for her tenure as Miss Kansas, Smith maintained her composure in a sparkly azure dress.
“Some of you out in this audience saw me very emotional, because my abuser is here today,” she said.
“But that’s not going to stop me from being on this Miss Kansas stage and from representing as the next Miss Kansas,” she continued to applause and cheers. “Because I and my community deserve healthy relationships.”
She provided more context in an Instagram post the month after her win. On the night of the pageant, she said, “someone I have been healing from tried to disrupt my peace.”
“Instead of falling into silence, I chose to live out my vision for a better world,” she wrote. “I took back my power — not just for myself, but for my dreams and everyone watching and listening.”
She added, “I’m ready to use my story, tools, and resources to end unhealthy relationships in all forms.”
In an interview with local Wichita TV station KSN, Smith said, “every single woman in my family was impacted by domestic violence.” Her first relationship began at age 14 and lasted until 2018 or 2019, she told KSN, and it was abusive.
“It’s something that I’m still experiencing and dealing with today,” she told the station. “Domestic violence does not discriminate.”
She’ll use her platform to continue to speak out against domestic violence in Kansas and beyond, she said.
CNN has reached out to the Miss America organization for comment.
Earlier in the Miss Kansas competition, Smith, who is also an ICU nurse, won preliminary competitions in both health and fitness and talent (Smith performed a ventriloquism act with two puppets). As the state winner, Smith was also awarded more than $15,000 in scholarships.
Smith and other state winners will compete for the Miss America crown in January.
In the KSN interview, Smith shared that every woman in her family has been impacted by domestic violence. During her final interview at the Miss Kansas competition, she bravely revealed that her abuser was present in the audience.
