Former Miss Universe Alicia Machado says she was public humiliated by Donald Trump and now plans to vote against the Republican presidential nominee.
Machado, a Venezuela native, was crowned in 1996 — the first year Trump owned the pageant — during a ceremony hosted by Trump’s then wife, Marla Maples. The 19-year-old winner said shortly after winning the pageant, The GOP nominee began bullying her “all the time.”
The beauty queen’s complaints about Trump were first reported by the New York Times in a blockbuster story this spring highlighting dozens of women’s tales of abuse and mistreatment.
“For sure he is not a good person,” Machado told Inside Edition in May. After her victory, she claimed Trump referred to her as “Miss Piggy” and “Miss Housekeeping.”
Trump’s teasing made her feel “so fat” that it made her “very depressed,” she said.
She also claimed Trump mocked her ability to speak English.
Trump publicly called the teen model an “eating machine” to radio host Howard Stern, which Machado claimed caused her years of low self-esteem. The 39-year-old says her experience with Trump led to years of battling eating disorders and psychotherapy.