US EditionMiss Finland Loses Her Crown Due to Anti-Chinese Racism Scandal
Miss Finland Sarah Dzafce was dethroned after a photo mocking East Asian features sparked public criticism; the title passed to first runner-up Tara Lehtonen, marking a rare mid-year change.
- The Miss Suomi organisation announced at a Helsinki press conference that Miss Suomi Sarah Dzafce was informed on Thursday her crown was revoked and transferred to first runner-up Tara Lehtonen, 25, three months after her 2025 win.
- A photo shared in late November prompted public criticism after showing Dzafce pulling the corners of her eyes, widely interpreted as mocking East Asian features, and criticism intensified after a Finnair business-class video removed from social media platforms.
- Sunneva Sjögren said the organisation held several private discussions with Dzafce, including after her Miss Universe competition return, reversing an earlier stance to revoke her crown as 'heavy but necessary'.
- Dzafce apologised at the press event and on Monday via Instagram, affecting Finland's representation for the first time since 2011.
- She told Ilta-Sanomat the gesture was a reaction to headache and eye pressure; organisers apologised to the Asian community, and Tara Lehtonen said the call to accept the title came unexpectedly while they remain friendly.
30 Articles
30 Articles
Miss Finland Stripped of Her Title Following Racist Social Media Post, Weeks After Competing at Miss Universe Pageant
Prior to the official announcement of her revoked crown, Sarah Dzafce previously issued an apology for her offensive behaviorRUNGROJ YONGRIT/EPA/Shutterstock Sarah Dzafce at Miss Universe 2025.NEED TO KNOWOn Thursday, Dec. 11, the Miss Finland organization announced that Sarah Dzafce's national title as the reigning queen had been revoked following racist behavior onlineDays earlier, the now-former titleholder apologized for the widely circulat…
Sarah Dzafce won last September the title of Miss Finland, but just a few months later, she has been dispossessed of her crown after she starred in a racism scandal motivated by a gesture made on social networks.Dzafce, of Albanianosovar father and Finnish mother, shared a video on the German social network Jodel in which she is seen tearing her eyes with the text: "Eating with a Chinese."At first, the miss claimed that she was doing the gesture…
While a wind of controversy surrounded the coronation of Miss France, Miss Finland also found herself at the heart of a scandal. Sarah Dzafce, the title holder for only three months, had to return her crown, announced the organizers of the beauty contest at a press conference.Miss Finland is accused of racism after a photo of her has resurfaced, on which she is seen stretching her eyes with her fingers. The image is accompanied by a sentence mea…
Miss Finland has been forced to relinquish her crown and title. Sarah Dzafce posted a photo on social media in which she made a racist gesture. The organization opposes all forms of racism and decided to remove her from her duties.
A photo, in which she denigrates Asian people, Miss Finland becomes a disaster. Sarah Dzafce loses her title after a few weeks already because of a racist gesture. A successor is already found.
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