The beauty pageant contestant, who would later be crowned Miss Kansas, stunned the audience by saying on stage that she was a victim of domestic violence and that her abuser was in the audience.
During the competition’s final interview on June 8, contestant Alexis Smith answered a question about her vision as a brand ambassador, saying she wanted to “end unhealthy and abusive relationships.”
“The fact is, some of you in this audience will have seen that I’m very emotional because my abuser is here with me today,” she said, turning from the jury to the audience.
“But that’s not going to stop me from standing on the Miss Kansas stage and representing it as the next Miss Kansas,” she added, her voice growing louder as the crowd cheered, “because I and my community deserve healthy relationships. We deserve a life free of domestic violence.”
Her response video went viral after being posted to Miss America Kansas’ social media platforms, garnering more than 290,000 views on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.
Smith, a 25-year-old cardiothoracic intensive care unit nurse from Wichita, told local NBC affiliate WSN that she had been in an abusive relationship since her early teens and that she was not the only victim in her family.
“My family, all the women in my family were affected by domestic violence,” she told WSN. “When I was 14, I was in my first relationship, which was also an abusive relationship that lasted until about 2018 or 2019. And it’s something that I still experience and deal with today.”
In a caption accompanying a video of her speech this month, Smith wrote that she felt empowered to speak out the moment she entered the pageant, and she plans to continue speaking up for others through her community service initiative, “Respect Reclaimed.”
“The night of Miss Kansas, my journey took an unexpected turn when someone I had been healing from tried to disturb my peace. Instead of falling into silence, I chose to live my vision for a better world. I took my power back — not just for myself, but for my dreams and all those who are watching and listening,” she wrote.
A Miss America spokesperson declined to comment on the matter.
As Miss Kansas, Smith will receive more than $15,500 in scholarships and will represent Kansas at the 2025 Miss America pageant in January.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls domestic violence, also known as intimate partner violence, a major public health issue that has “significant consequences for lifelong health, opportunities, and well-being.” According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, more than 12 million Americans experience intimate partner violence each year.
Need help? In the US call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). National Domestic Violence Hotline.
