The 17-year-old newly crowned Miss Washington Teen USA, Kate Dixon, faced backlash after a viral TikTok video resurfaced showing her hurling the n-word and other racial slurs.
The 2018 clip, posted on Feb. 8, shows Dixon using the racial slur while sitting in a car with friends.
@juliuspleazerfanaccountI screamed. This happened 2 days ago.♬ original sound – 69
“Gang s**t, n***a,” Dixon can be heard saying in the clip.
The TikTok user also revealed Dixon and a friend lip-syncing along with a sound in the background that made a sexual remark.
“I’m Amber. I only love men when they have money and big c***,” the audio stated.
The clip has more than 11 million views.
Kate Dixon is set to represent the state of Washington at Miss Teen USA 2022, but many are calling to revoke her crown.
In an interview with FOX 13, Dixon pleads her case, saying three years ago she was peer pressured into saying the n-word by an upperclassman. She says she did not know she was being recorded when she said it.
“They coerced me into saying a racial slur. I told them, ‘no, I don’t want to say that,'” said Kate. “I know that it’s not appropriate. And they told me, ‘you have a free pass just this one time. It would be funny.’ So I decided, after much persuasion, I said the word that they wanted me to say, and without my knowledge, I was recorded.”
Dixon and her mother say she publicly apologized at school and numerous times after that, but she says she was bullied and received death threats. She says she has since transferred to a different school but says the video resurfaces every time she achieves something.
The pageant winner said she had learned her lesson.
“I am very deeply sorry,” Dixon said. “I have learned my lesson, and I have not used that word to this day.
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Maureen Francisco, the executive producer of Pageants Northwest, an agency that oversees four states in the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA organizations, said the group became aware of the video in Oct. 2020 and spoke to the family about the incident before the teen entered the competition. Pageants Northwest then decided to let the teen move forward with her application, although she said the n-word and other slurs.
Hannah Merritt, a Black teen who finished as runner-up after competing with Dixon, said she is disappointed with Pageants Northwest.
@juliuspleazerfanaccountIt’s not about the girl specifically unit the system and what it should represent. The second girl said it well lmk ur thoughts♬ original sound – 69
“As an African American woman who’s walked that stage four times and has the weight of so many little girls on my shoulders, to know that Kate, who will never understand that, won, it’s just really tiring,” Merritt told KIRO 7.
