The Miss Kansas winner decided to speak out against abusive relationships after she was seen getting emotional following her win at the pageant on June 8 because her abuser was in the audience.
Alexis Smith won the pageant and qualified to compete as Miss USA 2025, but her moment was ruined when she spotted someone in the audience at Pratt Community College at the end of the ceremony.
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“My vision as the next Miss Kansas is to end unhealthy and abusive relationships,” Smith said onstage. “Some of you in the audience may have seen that I am very emotional today because someone who abused me is here with us.
“But that’s not going to stop me from taking to the Miss Kansas stage and representing them as the next Miss Kansas because I and my community deserve to have healthy relationships.”
Her defiant stance earned her the respect of the audience, who cheered and applauded her courageous decision as a cardiothoracic intensive care unit nurse to land a life-changing opportunity to become Miss USA.
She then doubled down on social media, sticking to this policy and not letting anonymous people control her emotions, and feeling empowered by the support of her audience.
“That night in Miss Kansas,” Smith later wrote on Facebook, “my journey took an unexpected turn when a person I had been healing from attempted to disturb my peace.”
“Instead of remaining silent, I chose to live my vision for a better world. I took my power back – not just for myself, but for my dreams and for all those who are watching and listening.”
Domestic violence groups support Smith
Fans liked the Facebook post, praising her strength and her ability to speak up on her own terms when confronting the person responsible for her traumatic experience, calling it inspiring and motivational.
But it didn’t stop there: She was also endorsed by the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence, which called her “truly inspirational for her courage and advocacy.”
According to KSNW, Smith said the relationship began when she was 14 and the abuse continued from 2018 to 2019, adding that the pain hasn’t gone away. She also said that it inspired her to start a campaign against domestic violence.
