The newly crowned Miss Kansas is emerging as an advocate for domestic violence survivors after she shocked judges and her audience in the final interview of her competition victory by calling out her abuser in the crowd.
Standing on stage in a blue sequined gown in June, Alexis Smith told the crowd: “Some of you in this audience saw me very emotional because my abuser is here today. But that’s not going to stop me from being on this Miss Kansas stage because I, and my community, deserve healthy relationships.”
A clip of her speech, which she made during the competition held at Pratt community college, went viral on social media more recently.
Video of her remarks have been viewed more than 60,000 times, according to the Associated Press, generating widespread news coverage that prompted many viewers to praise her bravery.
In an interview with the Kansas television news station KSNW, Smith said every woman in her family – including herself – had endured domestic violence.
She said her abusive relationship began when she was 14 and ended in about 2018 or 2019. After escaping the relationship, the 25-year-old Smith said she moved to Texas – but she ultimately decided to return to Wichita to pursue a nursing degree from Newman University.
Smith said she was a “bystander, victim and survivor” of domestic violence – but she pledged to strive to advocate against it after clinching her pageant title.
Smith has since launched a community service initiative called Respect Reclaimed: Advocating for Healthy Relationships. She wrote in an Instagram post that the initiative was about “reclaiming your power and standing firmly in it”.
Smith said she intends for her initiative to work toward the elimination of “unhealthy and abusive relationships”.
A cardiothoracic intensive care unit nurse who works overnight shifts, Smith performed a ventriloquism act during the talent portion of the competition. She won the Miss Kansas 2024 title on 8 June, along with $15,500 in scholarship money.
Smith’s pageant win earned her a berth to represent Kansas in the Miss America competition, which is scheduled to take place in January 2025.
