As the audience applauded the crowning of Miss Universe Cayman Islands 2025 on 9 Aug., North Side’s Tiona Miller stood quietly to the side, her sash pinned upside down, her face unreadable. Of the four contestants, she placed third runner-up and was the only finalist to leave without a special award.
Two days later, Miller – the only plus-size contestant in this year’s competition – issued a multi-page public statement on her social media page, alleging that instead of empowerment and the opportunities that she had been promised, the pageant was instead defined by “colorism, favoritism and systemic bias”.
She said she was told, directly and indirectly, that her size and appearance limited her chances, and that she faced delays in sponsorship, transportation challenges and unequal treatment.
She also said her images were retouched, making her feel she was “not considered beautiful enough as I am”.
“I felt as though I was fighting – not just for a crown, but for visibility, respect, and a fair chance,” she wrote.
The Miss Universe Cayman Islands Committee has strongly rejected that characterisation, describing Miller’s account as at odds with their mission and practices.
“Beauty has no single definition, and we are committed to celebrating every body type, personality, and story,” it said in a detailed statement to the Compass.
It added that all contestants are judged by independent, experienced adjudicators under “strict scoring criteria” to ensure fairness and transparency.
The committee added that it works “to give each contestant the spotlight she deserves” and provides “equal access to training, coaching, and mentorship”.
Miller followed that she received less visibility in official photos and social media features than other contestants and told the Compass that the results appeared “predetermined”. The committee countered that its marketing and media teams ensure “all participants have moments to shine”, and pointed out that this year it secured sponsorship for Miller despite contestants traditionally being responsible for acquiring their own.
Some of Miller’s sharpest criticisms related to her treatment in the weeks leading up to the pageant. In a separate written statement produced for the Compass, she accused organisers of overruling a prize donation meant for her, ignoring formal complaints – including one from an underage bystander, alleging threats from another competitor – and repeatedly mispronouncing her name.
The committee, which said it maintains a “zero-tolerance policy for bullying or mistreatment”, noted that chaperones and open lines of communication are in place to protect contestants’ well-being.
On the day of the event, Miller said her private sponsor for hair and makeup cancelled at the last minute. The committee acknowledged the cancellation but said it was beyond its control, and that it worked quickly with another service provider to accommodate her.
“We went above and beyond to support all contestants,” it stated.
The committee also highlighted new initiatives such as mental health support for contestants and acknowledged “there is always room for improvement” in making the process more open and transparent.
This year’s event saw Bodden Town’s Tahiti Seymour crowned the winner. Seymour will represent Cayman at the 74th Miss Universe competition in Thailand this November.
The franchise, now in its second year of independent management after the government relinquished it in 2023, has worked hard to rebuild trust following the high-profile dethroning of a former titleholder. The committee said it is “listening closely and reflecting on how we can make our processes more transparent and inclusive, so that every voice feels heard from start to finish”.
As Seymour prepares for the global stage, Miller’s allegations have ignited a broader conversation in Cayman about the ideals of diversity, inclusivity and equal opportunity in pageantry.
The Miss Universe Cayman Islands Committee says it will continue championing contestants “of every background, body type and story”, and that it remains focused on its goal “to develop and transform Caymanian women into confident, empowered leaders”.
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The upside down sash is wild. Very unprofessional.
John John’s daughter winning is wild.
Not having a competition weight limit is crazy work.
Overall, the whole pageant is so goofy.
The entire point of a “beauty pageant” is that one will be judged. When one sets out to compete in any endeavour it is never assured that it will be easy. Entitlement seems to be the issue here.
This is comedy gold. But the “controversy” sort of masks the underlying problem that we have a village sized population and a four-person contest isn’t much of a contest. Perhaps that is a testament to the women of the Cayman Islands that they are not interested in this sort of thing.
Another issue is that we could only garner four contestants for this prestigious competition?.