Miss Universe 2021 winner, Andrea Meza, has been forced to deny she is married after “wedding pics” emerged that could strip her of the beauty title.
Miss Mexico, 26, beat 74 other contestants, to take the 2021 crown on Sunday, May 16. However, she is already embroiled in controversy.
Photos taken in 2019 show Andrea posing in a wedding gown and hugging a man in a suit.
The photos have been shared across social media and by Mexican publications, sparking controversy.
‘Wedding’ rumours started just hours after Andrea was crowned Miss Universe in Florida on Sunday night.
A major rule for the Miss Universe beauty contest is that contestants must be single.
The photos were shared by Andrea and Jorge Saenz in 2019 alongside romantic captions that read like wedding vows.
Jorge wrote in the captions: “I am immensely grateful to God for giving me the opportunity to meet her at this moment and to cross our path.
“Today a new stage in our lives begins and I am sure that sharing everything with you will make me the happiest person in the world.”
However, after Andrea was crowned Miss Universe, the romantic captions were deleted from the photos.
And Jorge has now clarified the situation, saying that he is not currently, and never has been Andrea’s husband.
Jorge, a Mexican model, explained that the pics were part of an advertising campaign, to highlight and show off the State of Chihuahua.
He said: “People, my photo with @andreamezamx is just a shooting for @ahchihuahua.
“Please stop with your messages and threats. That photo is from 2019, and it is not edited. It was just a joke. Check @achihuahua profile.”
In 2019, divorced mother Veronika Didusenko was stripped of her Miss Ukraine 2018 title. She was banned from competing at Miss World because she had been married at one point and had a five-year-old son.
Miss Universe rules were recently changed to allow divorcees to participate in the pageant.
By Jide N.