Dethroned Miss Florida Fights Back With $15M Lawsuit
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - A beauty queen who was stripped of her Miss Florida crown is fighting back.
Monday afternoon an attorney for Genesis Dávila announced a $15 million dollar lawsuit against the owners of the Miss Florida USA pageant - Tel-Air Interests, Inc., Grant Gravitt, Jr., and IMG Universe.
Dávila represented Miami Beach in the Miss Florida USA 2017 pageant held on July 16th beating out nearly 70 other contestants.
"We're seeking damages for defamation. We're seeking damages for intentional infliction of emotional distress....and we're seeking for our client to be reinstated," said Davila's attorney Richard Wolfe.
The lawsuit alleges that there is an unfair system going on in which his client was taken down so an "insider" - the runner-up - could be propped up.
Wolfe said July 22nd Dávila was dethroned after pageant officials questioned her citizenship status then falsely accused her of hiring outside hair and makeup professionals during the Miss Florida USA state pageant instead of the ones provided by the organization, which is a violation of pageant rules.
They deny she violated any of the pageant's rules.
"I am innocent. all these false allegations have taken me completely by surprise. I have faced many challenges in my life but nothing like this. I am honest, hardworking who's raised in ideal and principle," said Dávila on Monday.
As for what's to come, Wolfe said he wants his client reinstated.
"We're waiting to see if they will voluntarily restore her," said Wolfe.
Dávila was born in Arroyo, Puerto Rico on in 1992. During her pageant career, she has competed in and won several international contests. In 2012, Dávila represented Arroyo at the Miss Universe Puerto Rico 2013 pageant, where she finished as 1st Runner-Up. As first runner-up, Dávila got the right to represent Puerto Rico at Miss Intercontinental 2012 in Germany where she finished as 1st Runner-Up and won the title of Miss North America Intercontinental.
