Nigerian-South African beauty queen Chidimma Adetshina has shared her emotional experience of feeling unaccepted by South Africans during the Miss South Africa contest. In a candid interview with Silverbird Television, Adetshina discussed the difficulties she encountered due to her name and heritage.
Adetshina, who was recently crowned Miss Universe Nigeria, revealed that her name, Chidimma, became a point of contention. “It all started because of my name; people were unhappy that my name is Chidimma and I am representing South Africa. South Africans felt I wasn’t South African enough because of my name, and it was really sad,” she explained.
The beauty queen described the experience as “heartbreaking and horrible,” saying she had lived in South Africa for 23 years but still faced rejection. “It was heartbreaking to see that I wasn’t welcomed or accepted,” she added, visibly emotional.
Adetshina also mentioned behind-the-scenes challenges that led to her decision to withdraw from the competition. “I don’t really want to talk about it,” she said through tears. “There were things that happened that made me withdraw. It was heartbreaking to have to pull out so close to the finale, but a decision had to be made.”
Despite the difficulties, Adetshina remains proud of her dual heritage. “What I do know is that I was born in South Africa and I am a South African, and I’m still proudly Nigerian as well,” she said.
Her withdrawal from the Miss South Africa pageant came amid allegations from the South African Home Office regarding a prima facie case of fraud and identity theft involving her mother. Adetshina also faced significant backlash upon her initial announcement as a contestant.
Following her withdrawal, the Silverbird Group, which organized the Miss Universe Nigeria pageant, extended an invitation to Adetshina. She accepted and subsequently won the title, marking a triumphant turn in her pageantry career.
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