A beauty pageant contestant who was later crowned Miss Kansas stunned spectators when she said on stage that she was a survivor of domestic violence — and that her abuser was in the audience.
In her final interview segment of the June 8 competition, contestant Alexis Smith answered a question about her vision as a brand ambassador by saying she wanted to “eliminate unhealthy and abusive relationships.”
Then she got personal.
“Matter of fact, some of you out in this audience saw me very emotional, because my abuser is here today,” she said, turning from the judges to the audience.
“But that’s not going to stop me from being on this Miss Kansas stage and from representing as the next Miss Kansas,” she added, her voice growing louder as the crowd erupted in cheers. “Because I and my community deserve healthy relationships. We deserve a domestic [violence]-free life.”
This photo provided by Miss America shows Alexis Smith who was crowned Miss Kansas on June 8, 2024, at the ceremony held in Pratt, Kansas.
Video of her response went viral after it was posted on Miss America Kansas’s social media platforms, racking up more than 290,000 views across X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram .
Smith, a 25-year-old cardiothoracic ICU nurse from Wichita, told local NBC affiliate WSN that she was in an abusive relationship starting in her early teens — and that she wasn’t the only victim in her family.
“My family, every single woman in my family, was impacted by domestic violence,” she told WSN. “At the age of 14, I got in my first relationship, but it was also an abusive relationship that I was in until about 2018, 2019. It’s something that I’m still experiencing and dealing with today.”
In a caption accompanying the video of her speech this month, Smith wrote that she felt empowered in the moment of the competition to speak out. She plans to continue advocating for others under a community service initiative called “Respect Reclaimed.”
“On the night of Miss Kansas, my journey took an unexpected turn when 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. I took back my power — not just for myself, but for my dreams and everyone watching and listening,” she wrote.
A spokesperson for Miss America declined to comment for this story.
After winning the Miss Kansas crown, Smith was awarded more than $15,500 in cash scholarships and will represent her state at the 2025 Miss America competition in January.
The Centers for Disease Control refer to domestic violence, also known as intimate partner violence, as a significant public health issue that has a “profound impact on lifelong health, opportunity, and well-being.” According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline , more than 12 million Americans experience relationship abuse each year.
Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) for the National Domestic Violence Hotline .
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