Gretchen Carlson Responds to Miss America Cara Mund: You Cost Us $75,000 in Scholarships
On Friday, reigning Miss America Cara Mund published an open letter addressed to all former Miss Americas alleging that the pageant and its board, particularly former Fox News host and current Pageant chair Gretchen Carlson, have bullied and “silenced” her.
“Our chair and CEO have systematically silenced me, reduced me, marginalized me, and essentially erased me in my role as Miss America in subtle and not-so-subtle ways on a daily basis,” wrote Mund. “After a while, the patterns have clearly emerged, and the sheer accumulation of the disrespect, passive-aggressive behavior, belittlement, and outright exclusion has taken a serious toll.”
Mund painted a picture of a power struggle within the organization between the reigning Miss America, and the former Miss America now heading the board, Carlson.
Right away, the new leadership delivered an important message: There will be only one Miss America at a time, and she isn’t me. To reinforce this, they told me that I’m not important enough to do big interviews, and that the major press is “obviously” reserved for Gretchen. Step out of line there and not only do you get treated to being pulled into the office for a dressing down by Regina, but Brent Adams also joins in on the action.
Mund said that she was given talking points about Carlson, including that she started the #MeToo movement, to be delivered when speaking in public.
On Sunday, Gretchen Carlson fired back with her own statement on Twitter.
Please see my statement in full below pic.twitter.com/rvmee4es7g
— Gretchen Carlson (@GretchenCarlson) August 20, 2018
In the statement, Carlson denies any bullying, and stating her support for Mund.
“I also want to be clear that I have never bullied or silenced you,” she wrote. “In fact, I have acknowledged to you and your parents many times that the organization understands the frustrations of serving during such a change-filled and stressful year.”
She also said that “actions have consequences” and that the organization lost $75,000 in scholarships as a “direct result” of Mund’s letter.
Mund’s full letter is available here.
[Featured image via screengrab]
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