As we get closer to Miss Universe in November, women around the world are getting their ticket into the competition by winning their respective countries' pageants. On Sunday, September 7, Cassie Donegan from New York became the new Miss America, beating the runner-up, Miss Texas, Sadie Schiermeyer. But her win did not come without a lot of opinions.
The Miss Universe TikTok account shared several videos of Donegan's win, and the comment section is filled with haters. From the comments, it seems like many people didn't watch the actual competition and are going from their first impression of Donegan standing next to Schiermeyer.
"The red dress is the most beautiful," "Miss Texas 100% robbed," and "Red dress looked like Miss America!" were among some of the comments.
In another video, which has since been viewed 5.6M times, Donegan is fresh off her win with a smile on her face, clearly excited. With the lighting, the focus became on her makeup. "Make-up artist needs a credential check," "makeup artist didn't want her to win," people wrote.
Following the backlash, Donegan opened up to PEOPLE, saying, "I'm just a normal person." While she admited, "no, I don't want to hear people ever say anything negative, especially about my appearance," she explaiend with grace, "I also respect that the internet is a public space and that people have the right to their opinion to be able to share that, and no one's going to be everyone's favorite all of the time."
As for how she's dealing with it, she says you often have to "pick and choose what you allow yourself to digest." She explained she was "really leaning" into her support system, and the people around her who are lifting, loving, and holding her high, "and choosing to focus on the positivity that's happening in the moment."
The sweet and smart woman promised to keep doing her best "to love everyone and care about everyone." "Because at the end of the day, if even just one person has felt touched in some way or seen or loved through me as Miss America, then I've done my job. And that's the most important thing," she continued.
Among the haters are many people defending the winner. "People saying stuff about her makeup don’t understand stage makeup; it’s very common with cheer, dance, and pageants. The lighting washes you out, so what looks crazy off stage looks really good on stage, that’s why it’s always so much bolder," someone wrote.
Others have pointed out that the competition is not just about looks, and Donegan's answers were great. "Miss America is not just about looks anymore, guys? I saw this girl's speeches and what she stands for. She is beautiful, but how she holds herself and speaks for what she stands for is just as important in Miss America (if you don’t agree, eat rocks)," they wrote.
Donegan will now move forward to Miss Universe, which will take place in Thailand on November 21, 2025.