The Miss Universe Canada (MUC) organization has broken its silence over the controversy hounding a third-party camp that handled Nova Stevens, their candidate to the recently concluded pageant in Florida, United States.
The controversy stemmed from a social media post of the third-party organization about the grown made by Dubai-based Filipino fashion designer Michael Cinco for Stevens.
In a statement, MUC said: “We at the Miss Universe Canada organization are deeply saddened to read the recent negative online comments directed at us, the current Miss Universe Canada titleholder, some of our designer supporters and third-party organizations.”
MUC said that it has valued its relationships and partnerships with designers from all over the world.
“Like any organization in the pageant business, we enter into agreements with designers, in exchange for products we provide exposure and recognition to their brand. We recognize the significant contribution they make, not only with beautiful couture gowns, but also financially with work hours, time and shipping costs that they absorb,” MUC added.
The organization apologized to Filipino designers Michael Cinco and Rian Fernandez over the supposed lapse on their part.
“We specifically want to apologize to Michael Cinco and Rian Fernandez for any damage these recent incidents have caused to them or to their brand,” the organization said.
MUC said that any comments made by their third-party organizations are not the official stand of the Miss Universe Canada.
They however maintain that they respect free speech.
“It is important to recognize, they are not official representatives of the MUC organization; and while we respect their opinions, those opinions are not necessarily the opinions of the MUC organization,” it said.
MUC also laments the bashing and the death threats Stevens and members of their team are getting following the controversy.
“The MUC organization strongly objects to this level of abuse, and we refuse to partake in stooping to that level of ugliness,” the group said.
