When Cassie Donegan was crowned Miss America, she never imagined her victory would be quickly overshadowed by a wave of criticism targeting her appearance.
Several users online quickly flooded social media with harsh critiques of Donegan’s pageant makeup. They argued that the 28-year-old’s look appeared heavy and harsh under the glaring stage lights. Some even claimed runner-up Sadie Schiermeyer, representing Texas, should have won instead.
Donegan, who represented New York at the competition on Sept. 7 in Orlando, Florida, told Fox News Digital she’s not letting the hateful words get under her skin.
MISS AMERICA CONTESTANT, AN ARMY NATIONAL GUARD SERGEANT, WANTS TO UNITE A DIVIDED NATION
“The reality is, when something big happens like this, there are going to be many opinions,” she said.
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“Everyone has the right to their own opinion, especially in such a public forum like the internet. … Yes, there is that negativity out there, and that is their truth. They are allowed to have that opinion, and I respect that entirely. But I’m surrounded by so much love and so much support and so many people who are holding me up … I’m just not allowing [their negativity] to cloud the really incredible thing that’s happening.”
Donegan pointed out that she’s more focused on being a role model for younger girls across the country.
WATCH: MISS AMERICA ADDRESSES SOCIAL MEDIA CRITICISM AFTER HER WIN
“I’m able to look at these little girls and say, ‘I am not much different than you are right now, and you are so capable of doing anything you want to do,’” she said. “I want them to believe in themselves, because if they don’t, no one else will. Empowerment really comes from within. And if there’s even a small part of me that brings that spark out of them, then I’ve done my part. That will be something I will be grateful to be a part of.”
Miss America, a glitzy competition, was born from a 1921 Atlantic City beauty contest just a year after women were given the right to vote, the Associated Press reported. Many participants say the organization – a large provider of scholarship assistance to young women – has been life-changing, opening doors for them both personally and professionally.
The organization, one of the nation’s most recognized brands, awards more than $5 million in cash scholarships annually, plus millions more at the national, state and local levels.
Last year’s Miss America winner, Abbie Stockard of Alabama, crowned her successor. Donegan’s win included a $50,000 tuition scholarship, plus an additional $3,000 scholarship for her performance in the preliminary talent competition.
Donegan said surrounding herself with people who “pour positivity into you” is key to combating hateful words online.
“I know it’s really hard,” she admitted. “It’s hard not to open my phone and want to go and see what people are saying, but curiosity really does kill the cat. … I once heard that other people’s opinion of you is not your business. That is something that I’ve really tried to [live] by. Their opinion of me is valid because that is their truth, but it doesn’t mean that it’s my opinion of me.
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“[I ask myself], ‘Would they say that to me directly if it wasn’t behind a screen?’ … At the end of the day, if you’re surrounding yourself with positivity and the people who know you, who love you and see you, then the other noise is going to matter a lot less.”
The accomplished singer said she’s developed thick skin over the years.
“I’m from a smaller town. We were a lower-income family,” she said. “We struggled a lot growing up. I dealt with bullying pretty badly. My mom had a lot of health problems. She had her first of multiple strokes when I was only nine years old. Some days, we didn’t even know if certain utilities were going to be on. Some days they weren’t on.”
“That’s not necessarily the background that someone would think of when they look at something as glamorous as the Miss America opportunity from the outside,” Donegan noted. “But if you allow life and your circumstances to control your outcome, then it would potentially keep you from standing in spaces like Miss America.”
“I was not in a $10,000 gown,” she continued. “My talent outfit was given to me and was sponsored. The makeup I used, some of it came from drugstores. The other part was sponsored by an incredible makeup sponsor.
“There is no set of rules that says you have to spend a certain amount of money, or you have to come from a certain background or lifestyle to be Miss America, or to be whatever it is that you want to be. If even one person can understand that and believe that about themselves, that their circumstances do not decide their outcome … then I have been successful in my job this year.”
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Donegan said one message she wants to highlight during her reign is unity during a divided time in our nation.
“I’m the daughter of a veteran of our United States Navy,” she said. “I come from a long line of veterans. My brother is now also in the process of potentially … joining our military as well. I have a lot of pride in our armed forces here in the United States.
“I think just seeing that dedication day in and day out to protecting our country and … protecting the things that our country was founded on — being able to have equality for all. Being able to have spaces that are filled with love and kindness. Being able to look at your neighbor and say, ‘Your journey matters just as much as my journey.’”
“Something so wonderful about my job as Miss America is that while I may have my own beliefs or opinions, I do get to create … a safe space,” she reflected. “It is a space for you to be able to stand and say your truth, live your truth, be your truth, and understand that there is love here, there is a community here. We can have these rooms full of people from different backgrounds, different walks of life and be able to have these really authentic moments of connection and conversation.”
“I think once we’re able to hear each other, understand each other, we can start seeing unity,” Donegan added.
