Beauty queen in ‘tacos’ suit: ‘I'm still the same weight’

Video: Beauty queen in ‘tacos’ fight: ‘I’m still the same weight’

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   >>> if in texas, a teenaged beauty queen is making a shocking claim against pageant officials. she says she's been stripped of her crown because she gained too much weight. but is the controversy over pounds or something else? the young woman in the center of the story is here with us in the studio. we'll speak to her in a moment. . but first here's ron mott.

   >> reporter: it's a thosh any picture for the miss san antonio crown involving allegations of insubordination, tardiness, even weight gain . a battle crown holder dominiqonique ramirez is waging. ramirez has lounched a counter offensive to keep her sash filing a lawsuit and winning a restraining order after being fired by e-mail last month. her throne given to runner up ashley dixon. a judge is expected to rule next week. ramirez says she's not just fighting it for herself.

   >> it's for the girls that are to come. no one should ever have to be treated this way.

   >> reporter: and about her weight? a size 2, ramirez also says she was told, quote, stay off the tacos. officials discovered during a photo shoot that her panning event wardrobe hasd become too smug.

   >> they told me to lose 13 pounds. if i lost 13 poind, i'd be an rex rick.

   >> reporter: still, she made some lifestyle changes working with a personal trainer . for her part, though, pageant president says the bigger issue has not been her weight, but showing up late to promotional events if at all. and for violating other terms of her contract. ramirez admits being late to some events.

   >> obviously there is no race issue here. that is a moot point. and secondly, there is no weight issue. that obviously is it another moot point. there are certain rules an he had etiquette that has not been adhered to.

   >> reporter: from beauty queen cover girl to the hot spotlight of controversy. for "today," ron mott, mnbc news.

   >> domonique joins me now along with her mother. you were crowned in april of last year. at what point did you become aware that panlg end organizers were displeased with you?

   >> well, as soon as the new board stepped in actually. i mean, i was under an old board and i was doing fine.

   >> they claim that it's a contract violation and that you were to maintain the weight and measurements you were when you signed the contract. did you in fact maintain?

   >> nowhere in the contract does it say i have to an certain weight. when you're working out and you're lifting weights , of course muscles will weigh more than fat. so if i did gain if i weight, it's muscle and i'm still the same weight. i'm 129 pounds right now. i'm 5'8" 1/2 and i fit perfectly in my clothes.

   >> let's go back to where she said this was not a weight issue. in your view, was that the issue?

   >> oh, yeah, they made that a big issue telling me over and over to lose 13 pounds. and i said, look, and i have personal trainer and i'm going to work on lifting weights and getting lean muscle , not worrying about losing so much fat.

   >> but there were also complaints that you were bringing your boyfriend to events and that you were late and that a sash was dirty. are all those things true?

   >> i brought my boyfriend maybe to two appearances. and i didn't bring him, he came on his own. and that was under the old directors. and he had little contact with me. he was just -- it was like on the side of the parade or it was very limited contact.

   >> i hear what they're saying and i hear what you're saying and part of me is saying there is something going on behind the scenes here that i'm missing. what am i missing?

   >> well, actually, the day before i got the e-mail saying my reign was revoked, my mom had a confrontation with carolyn flores about me doing a wedding show. i've been modelling for three years and i've done this wedding show consecutively for three years. so after the show, they just sent me an e-mail saying that my reign had been revoked. and it was after a confrontation which i believe got personal with caroline and she took it upon herself to say i don't want her to be miss san antonio anymore.

   >> let's turn to your mom. what was yours sense of where things went sideways here?

   >> well, i received a call from her modeling coach stating if she can be represented at this bridal show as she has before. and i told her, well, we are under a new board of directors , so do you need to contact caroline flores. she did contact caroline , but caroline was just going at her as this is a scholarship pageant, we're about education, we're not promoting --

   >> so where did all the weight complaints and the tardy complaints and the boyfriend, when did that all came forward?

   >> that started at a photo shoot she had. she was supposed to go just to have head shots and they had her put on a swimsuit and that's when they started to dell her about her weight.

   >> did it someone really tell you to get off the tacos and chips and soda?

   >> yes.

   >> what was the context, though?

   >> she was just like get off the taco, get off the chips and you need to lose this weight. you have to get ready for miss texas . and i understood it that way and i said okay. and she said it in a way where i did feel kind of uncomfortable, but i didn't tell her anything of course.

   >> i think a lot of people would be humiliated at that point and just want to like end all this. you decided to fight. why?

   >> because this is not -- this is i don't understand me. it's beyond the pageant directors. it's miss america . it's about scholarship, it's about education. panlg e pageant girls and directors come and go.

   >> we introduced you as a butsity queen. it's a butsity contest and appearance is part of the deal. that's what they will say. how do you respond to that?

   >> i respond -- i mean, i'm doing my best. i've met the criteria. i've worked my best with this and i continue to do so and i will continue to do so.

   >> are you soured it at the process somewh process? what would you say to other young ladies that want to pursue these contests?

   >> i say do it. it is worth it. and just don't let anybody mistreat you, don't let anybody tell that you you're ugly or you're fat. it's not worth it if that's the case.

   >> thanks so much for coming on. it was good to speak to you both and keep us updated.

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