Thai beauty queen aspirant criticized for calling Catriona Gray ‘fat’

MANILA, Philippines — A Thai beauty queen contestant is being criticized by pageant fans after she posted a photo of Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray that described her as fat.

Miss Grand Nakhon Phanom 2019 Coco Arayha Suparurk posted on her Instagram stories a photo of the Filipino-Australian beauty queen next to that of Miss Grand International 2018 Clara Sosa. In the photo, Clara was described as fit while “fat” was put on Catriona’s photo.

The photo has since been deleted but a number of pageant fan pages and websites were able to screenshot the post. Fans have since bombarded her Instagram account, calling Coco out bodyshaming Catriona.

Both Coco and Catriona have yet to respond to the issue.

Why fans are reacting. Before passing the Miss Universe Philippine crown last June 9 to Gazini Ganados, Catriona recalled that she got negative sentiments over her body during the talent portion of Binibining Pilipinas 2018. 

“It was this same event that I experienced an increase in bodybashing, bodyshaming from so many in the online community. It’s easy to tell someone to have a ‘thick skin’ but it hurts,” she wrote.

“There were days I really struggled reading comments online. And it was definitely a process. But I had to grow to accept and love my unique shape and appreciate my body for its strength and capabilities.” 

In her farewell speech, she said she had to conquer 3 things, including people’s perceptions that she was not enough or that she would not win.

“There were so many times that people told me that I would fail. I was told that it was too soon for another Miss Universe from the Philippines, I was body-shamed, and I was put down. But I conquered others by surrounding myself with people who uplifted me, supported me, and mentored me. My Team Catriona were my backbone and my safe place. I wouldn’t be standing here if not for every single one of them, and for all of you. And as an only child whose family was away for the entirety of this journey, they also gave me a home.”  — Rappler.com