Teen pageant winner decrowned after dyeing hair brown

[Desirée {PL Team}]

Fifteen-year-old Olivia O’Neil recently won the title of Miss Teen Wanganui, but her reign was short-lived. According to The New Zealand Herald, Facebook photos surfaced of her newly dyed brown hair (she was blond when she was crowned), and pageant organizer Barbara Osborne was incensed. "Is that a wig?" Osborne wrote. "I hope it is, don’t give me heart failure."

Olivia admitted that she had in fact dyed her blond hair dark, and said that if she wasn't allowed to dye her hair, then maybe pageant life wasn't for her. “Well you better decide, miss. Hand over your crown with an attitude like that. I’m sure someone will step into your place with manners," said Osborne, adding that O'Neil "would not go far in this world."


Olivia gave up her crown and went straight to the Herald. "I don’t think you can tell a 15-year-old that they aren’t going to go very far in life," she said. "It’s hurtful. She was always really harsh on the girls. And when she says things like 'present yourself better,' 'wear lots of makeup,' 'do 20 sit-ups,' it gets to you after a while."

Pageant spokesman Jevan Goulter confirmed with The Herald that her crown was stripped because of the hair dye. "The expectation in holding the crown [was] that she maintain the image she had when she won it," said Goulter. But is that an expectation or a clearly stated rule? He insisted that O'Neil's claims of harsh treatment behind the scenes are an exaggeration. "In a beauty pageant, it’s not about sugar coating and providing lip service to the girls. They should be treated the same way as in any other beauty pageant in the world."

We reached out to Jevan Goulter ourselves for a comment on O'Neil's standing. He responded, "I would like to make very clear that Olivia never had her crown taken off--she gave it back. The organization never removed it from her." Goulter continued, "It was never about her changing her hair color. It was about the attitude and the communication breakdown." He said the pageant has offered Olivia and her father the opportunity for a live television debate to discuss the matter. "We would like to see them accept this offer if they are completely confident about everything that they have said."

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Are you kidding me right now? These people have lost their mind. The girl is 15 years old and that lady is really gonna tell her she's going to fail at life because she has brown hair?? Ugh, people are so ridiculous. Would you have returned the crown?

[Goldie @ 660Photos.com]

Thats pretty jacked up.... dont even know what to say about it.

[Dear Daniel]

knowing the way I am I would have been a jerk about it and threw it back at the lady. what a b****!!

dont people know how to be nice anymore???


Daniel

[Betty Red {PL Team / Madam}]

This makes me so mad! The girl colored her hair...like teenage girls do...she's not smoking crack or selling her body. It's sad to see society push what they think "beauty" is and punish for being unique.

[Scarlet von Harlet {★}]

I would have worn the crown 24/7 just to spite her

[Miss Nikki Sin{★}]

good for that little girl!! saying "if she wasn't allowed to dye her hair, then maybe pageant life wasn't for her" hear hear!!!

[Desirée {PL Team}]

I know you would!
Can't go wrong with that! Since they "didn't make her return it". Idiots.

Scarlet von Harlet said:

I would have worn the crown 24/7 just to spite her

[Natalie Crack]

WHAT A B**** !!!

[Betty Maraschino {Madam}]

Damn! I would have dyed my hair shocking pink and worn the crown. I mean isn't that what 15yr olds do - dye their hair.
and as for her being rude by saying if she wasn't allowed then pageant life wasn't for her. exactly which part of that is rude? I think that's a very graceful way of saying you can stick the crown up your a**

[Anita Fixx]

You won't go far in life if you're a brunette? Gee..thanks for dissing the majority of women out there..Bi-atch. lol

[Vestige Photography]

Wow..how unprofessional of the lady to talk to the 15 yr old about it instead of her parents. shouldnt there have been a contract about her appearance if it were that big of a deal?

[Red Hot Kitten's Boutique]

I did read that story. That poor kid...just for being a teenager or for trying to express herself she is punished. She said that the pageant organizer often made rude comments to the girls (do 20 pushups or wear lots of makeup) which as a teenager you are already running around with millions of insecurities.

[Tessa LeTaunt {★}]

I'd of returned the crown in a heartbeat. Screw representing an organization that's going to pitch a fit over something so petty... via Facebook, nonetheless. She'll go so much farther in life with the attitude she has, rather than if she were to take the alternative and dye her hair back "like a good girl".