Miss Puerto Rico Loses Crown Because Of Attitude Problem

Miss Puerto Rico has been stripped of her crown and will not compete in this year's Miss Universe pageant. Pageant officials told the Associated Press that Kristhielee Caride, who was named Miss Puerto Rico last November, has been asked to step down because of issues with her attitude. Desiree Lowry, national director of Miss Universe Puerto Rico, cited a recent newspaper interview in which Caride complained about being on camera. "I wanted the earth to swallow me," Lowry told the AP. "You always have to put your best face forward... it's a given that we are going to be in front of cameras and that we have to answer all types of questions." She added that the beauty queen didn't apologize, instead blaming the bad interview on a personal problem. Officials were later angered when she canceled appearances that conflicted with a doctor's appointment. Caride addressed the drama in a Facebook post to fans yesterday, which has since been deleted. She apologized to those who had supported her, but pointed out that "beauty queens are not exempt from having a bad day." "In the past few days I went through a number of personal situations and yet I dealt with the commitments stipulated in my work schedule with responsibility," she explained.

The situation causes one to wonder whether officials expected too much from Caride. Most jobs would allow for a little lee-way with regards to personal problems and visits to the doctor. A beauty queen must always be "on," which leaves little opportunity to be human, too. Caride, who will be replaced by Brenda Jimenez, has not yet responded to a request for comment.