Maybe they should start checking backgrounds earlier in the pageant process
Miss Dominican Republic has to relinquish her crown now that pageant organizers discovered Carlina Duran, Miss Dominican Republic, has been married since 2009.
Now the runner-up in last week’s Miss Dominican Republic contest, Dulcita Lieggi, will represent the Caribbean nation in the Miss Universe pageant.
The rules of the pageant state that those competing for the crown must not be married or divorced.
The briefly-crowned Miss Dominican Republic said in a statement Wednesday night that she had never lived with her husband.
“In my daily life, I remained like a single woman,” the statement said, adding that she never thought herself materially or spiritually married.
The statement added that the marriage was brief, and the couple had begun annulment proceedings but did not specify whether the annulment was finalized.
Carlina Duran was crowned Miss Dominican Republic on April 17, but Dulcita Lieggi will compete as Miss Dominican Republic in the Miss Universe pageant in Las Vegas this June.
