In a surprising turn of events, Damarea Liao, a Nigerian-Japanese model who was set to represent Nigeria in the Miss Africa pageant, has resigned following a public conflict with American socialite Kim Kardashian. The controversy erupted after Liao made a controversial comment on Instagram regarding Kardashian’s rise to fame.
Liao’s Instagram comment read, “Are we going to pretend that Kim K isn’t an ‘adult film’ star gone famous?” This remark quickly sparked a feud between the two figures, reportedly originating from Liao’s refusal to be managed by Kardashian for the upcoming reality show “Life of Crowns,” produced by Ryan Seacrest.
Seacrest, who also produced “The Kardashians” and “Keeping Up With The Kardashians,” had suggested Kardashian manage Liao as part of the new show. Liao, however, declined, citing concerns about projecting a “false image” of herself.
Following the comment, Kardashian unfollowed Liao on social media, resulting in a significant loss of followers for the model and a wave of backlash from Kardashian’s fans. This backlash placed Liao in a difficult position, especially under the stringent guidelines of the Miss Africa organization, which include rules against cyberbullying. Liao’s comment was deemed a violation of these rules.
At the end of June, Liao issued a public apology on Instagram, expressing regret for her comment and acknowledging its negative impact on her career and the Miss Africa pageant. “Recently, I made a comment about a very influential figure in Hollywood.
I want to apologize for the comment I made out of anger and ego. This is not how I wish to be viewed by society. I am a role model to many young women and girls who see this position as a representation of how they should behave, and who they should strive to be,” she wrote.
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In her heartfelt apology, Liao, who identifies as ‘Afro-Asian’ due to her Japanese, Ghanaian, and Nigerian heritage, emphasized the importance of setting a positive example. “I wasn’t brought up to speak negatively about the people around me, regardless of what I believe or feel in the moment. In order to be a role model to the world watching, I feel it is only right to give the crown to a woman who will do right by the people and Nigeria as a whole,” she stated.
Liao’s resignation marks a significant moment in her career. She joined the pageant industry in October of the previous year, making history as the first Nigerian to advance to Miss South Carolina, USA. However, she withdrew from the competition in December, citing mental health reasons and passing the crown to Destiny Suber, who went on to represent South Carolina in Miss USA.
In her resignation announcement, Liao reflected on her time in pageantry and the lessons learned. “The time I am taking away from pageantry will allow me to understand the consequences of my actions and the impact that it has on others. Thank you for this time I have spent meeting so many people and making memories in such a prestigious position,” she said.
Kardashian has not commented publicly on the incident, but Liao has cleared her Instagram profile, leaving only a few posts related to her recent projects. In a recent comment, Liao expressed her acceptance of the situation, saying, “It’s okay for me to start over. Whatever this mistake does to my career is fine.
Starting over isn’t an issue, I’ve done it before. More people were paying attention to me than I realized, and I’d forgotten that what I could do before I can’t do anymore. I thought maybe it would just blow over, without thinking of the consequences of my actions. Now, I know. I realized it was serious when I was dropped from many brands and opportunities. I’ve burnt a lot of bridges, but I’ve reached out to Kim to apologize. I know that it’s not being taken well.”
