Cape Town – One of the top 12 Miss South Africa finalists, Levern José, has decided to withdraw from the competition due to bullying accusations made against her.
Social media users, claiming to be her former schoolmates, accused her of being a bully.
In response, José, a 23-year-old from Kimberley, Northern Cape, released a statement through the Miss South Africa organisation, acknowledging that she had been a victim of bullying herself and expressing her apologies if her actions had caused harm.
Is she not acting as a victim on this other side? The lack of accountability sis! ??♀️? pic.twitter.com/ivbMg8YBqC
— ?Oleander? (@QueenOleanderQO) June 20, 2023
“As a survivor of bullying, I learned how to protect myself from bullying during my school years. If my actions in protecting myself caused harm to anyone, I offer my sincere apologies. The pain of being a target has left an indelible mark on my heart, and I would never intentionally cause hurt or contribute to someone else’s suffering,” her statement reportedly said.
The Miss South Africa Organisation accepted her decision to withdraw and emphasised its stance against bullying, expressing respect for José’s choice to focus on her healing.
“The Miss South Africa Organisation does not condone bullying of any kind. We accept Levern’s decision to pull out of the competition and respect her for owning her truth and taking this time to focus on her own healing,” EWN quoted the Miss South Africa Organisation as saying.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
