Daily Beaner
2016-08-10 19:32:54 UTC
MIAMI Claiming a need to restore her tarnished reputation,
Genesis Davila is suing the organizers of the Miss Florida USA
pageant after she was stripped of her crown due to allegations
that she broke the beauty contest's rules.
Flanked by her attorneys and her life coach at press conference
in Miami on Monday, Davila said the accusations took her by
surprise. "The way I found was through social media," said the
beauty queen, who is demanding $15 million.
"Of course, I was devastated, she said. I have faced many
challenges in my life, but nothing like this."
Davila, a Puerto Rican, represented Miami Beach during the June
28 to July 2 pageant.
Her reign was short-lived. Pageant officials took away her 2017
crown three weeks following her coronation, after Miss Florida
executive producer Grant Gravitt Jr. claimed eye-witness
accounts and other evidence shows she violated rules by having
professional stylists not affiliated with the pageant fix her
hair and makeup before the show.
We have a zero-tolerance policy on rules, Gravitt said at the
time.
Richard Wolfe, Davila's attorney, said she is personally suing
Gravitt because of untruthful statements he allegedly made about
his client. "He acted maliciously to defame my client," Wolfe
said. "She was unjustly stripped of her crown and it is our job
to get it back to her."
Wolfe initially accused Gravitt of falsely claiming that Davila
was not a U.S. citizen, which would have barred her from
participating in the pageant. Gravitt then allegedly
manufactured the allegations that Davila used a professional
stylist for the show.
Davila's lawyer claimed Gravitt shared on his social media
accounts a screen shot of a photo his client posted on her
Instagram account of a professional stylist applying makeup to
her face as proof she cheated.
"She had it done nine days earlier for a shoot on something
completely unrelated," Wolfe said. "Mr. Gravitt intentionally
cropped this [photo] to strip her of her crown. He made up false
evidence."
Wolfe claimed Davila is a victim of an unfair judging system in
which a group of "insider" contestants are given preference.
Davila's $15 million lawsuit was filed in Miami-Dade Circuit
Court and names Gravitt Jr., his company Tel-Air Interests, and
IMG Universe, the company that owns the Miss USA, Miss Teen USA
and the Miss Universe pageants.
A spokesman for Tel-Air said Gravitt and the company cannot
comment on pending litigation.
http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2016/08/02/dethroned-miss-
florida-usa-denies-broke-pageant-rules-files-15-million-lawsuit/
Genesis Davila is suing the organizers of the Miss Florida USA
pageant after she was stripped of her crown due to allegations
that she broke the beauty contest's rules.
Flanked by her attorneys and her life coach at press conference
in Miami on Monday, Davila said the accusations took her by
surprise. "The way I found was through social media," said the
beauty queen, who is demanding $15 million.
"Of course, I was devastated, she said. I have faced many
challenges in my life, but nothing like this."
Davila, a Puerto Rican, represented Miami Beach during the June
28 to July 2 pageant.
Her reign was short-lived. Pageant officials took away her 2017
crown three weeks following her coronation, after Miss Florida
executive producer Grant Gravitt Jr. claimed eye-witness
accounts and other evidence shows she violated rules by having
professional stylists not affiliated with the pageant fix her
hair and makeup before the show.
We have a zero-tolerance policy on rules, Gravitt said at the
time.
Richard Wolfe, Davila's attorney, said she is personally suing
Gravitt because of untruthful statements he allegedly made about
his client. "He acted maliciously to defame my client," Wolfe
said. "She was unjustly stripped of her crown and it is our job
to get it back to her."
Wolfe initially accused Gravitt of falsely claiming that Davila
was not a U.S. citizen, which would have barred her from
participating in the pageant. Gravitt then allegedly
manufactured the allegations that Davila used a professional
stylist for the show.
Davila's lawyer claimed Gravitt shared on his social media
accounts a screen shot of a photo his client posted on her
Instagram account of a professional stylist applying makeup to
her face as proof she cheated.
"She had it done nine days earlier for a shoot on something
completely unrelated," Wolfe said. "Mr. Gravitt intentionally
cropped this [photo] to strip her of her crown. He made up false
evidence."
Wolfe claimed Davila is a victim of an unfair judging system in
which a group of "insider" contestants are given preference.
Davila's $15 million lawsuit was filed in Miami-Dade Circuit
Court and names Gravitt Jr., his company Tel-Air Interests, and
IMG Universe, the company that owns the Miss USA, Miss Teen USA
and the Miss Universe pageants.
A spokesman for Tel-Air said Gravitt and the company cannot
comment on pending litigation.
http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2016/08/02/dethroned-miss-
florida-usa-denies-broke-pageant-rules-files-15-million-lawsuit/