After backlash, Ariadna Gutierrez says people misunderstood her statement on Pia Wurtzbach

ABS-CBN News
Posted at Oct 08 2020 02:17 PM

Miss Colombia 2015 Ariadna Gutierrez (left) and Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach. Photos from @gutierrezary and @piawurtzbach

MANILA -- Ariadna Gutierrez felt the need to speak up after receiving backlash on social media for her recent statement about Pia Wurtzbach.

In an Instagram comment picked up by the local pageant website Pageanthology 101, Gutierrez said people misunderstood what she said about Wurtzbach during a recent interview.

The Colombian beauty queen agreed with a netizen who pointed out that she did not get to see Wurtzbach often during the pre-pageant activities, which caused her to underestimate the Filipina beauty queen.

That was until the finals, when Gutierrez realized that Wurtzbach was a strong contender.

"I know, exactly what I said," she said, agreeing with the netizen. "But people don't ever understand what I said SMH (shaking my head). Thank you for saying it how it is."

"I feel so sad for the super nice Philippinos (sic) I've met in my life. They are not like this," she added.

On Thursday, Gutierrez also posted a quote on Instagram, seemingly referring to the issue.

"Learn to use the criticism as fuel and you will never run out of energy," the quote read. 

In the now-controversial interview, Gutierrez was quoted as saying that she never thought that Wurtzbach would win Miss Universe, comparing her to a "ghost" that she and her fellow Latina candidates rarely saw throughout the competition.

"I actually saw her twice during the competition, once at the dining area and during rehearsals. But a person like a... a ghost! You see her and never again, like the exit signs! Nobody saw her," she said in Spanish, as translated by the local pageant website Pageanthology 101.

"I used to go with the Latinas but we sat with the Asians and I did not notice her," she added. "She was very solitary, too. I did not notice her and when I did, I did not think of her as my competition. That is the truth."

Is it 2015 all over again? Issue between Pia Wurtzbach, Ariadna Gutierrez resurfaces
Miss Bulgaria Radostina Todorova took to social media to call out Gutierrez and reiterated how they were "all so happy Pia won."

"Of course you didn't see her!" she said in a social media comment. "I remember you were always laughing at us, at our clothes and jewelry, at our walk and talk. You were only with the other Latinas looking down on us!"

"I stand behind my words and that's why we were all so happy Pia won," she went on. "You need to be beautiful inside and out, not only looking like a Victoria's Secret model and act like the queen of England! You will never be, unless you start acting like a decent human being!"

Todorova followed up with a post on her Instagram page, saying she could not believe that this is still an issue after five years.

Wurtzbach, meanwhile, has yet to comment on the issue. The former Miss Universe seems to be unbothered as she continues to post about her endorsements and her daily activities.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/life/10/08/20/after-backlash-ariadna-gutierrez-says-people-misunderstood-her-statement-on-pia-wurtzbach