Beauty queens from Argentina, Puerto Rico announce marriage after meeting at pageant
The women are among the youngest to win crowns, which came just weeks after a younger contestant was crowned Miss Puerto Rico.
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The women are among the youngest to win crowns, which came just weeks after a younger contestant was crowned Miss Puerto Rico.
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Cristina Vazquez, known as Cristi, and María Elena De La Cruz of Puerto Rico are the latest batch of beauty queens to tie the knot since the Miss USA and Miss Universe competitions began in 1997.
The 20-year-olds, who competed for Puerto Rico during the Miss Puerto Rico pageant, met during a rehearsal period for Miss USA, which airs on NBC. De la Cruz works at the White House as a legislative liaison for the administration to deal with Puerto Rico. Vazquez has worked in retail before winning Miss USA in 2017, while De La Cruz previously won the title as Miss Puerto Rico.
“She’s just the nicest girl in the office,” Vazquez, 24, told NBC News of De La Cruz, who is not related to Vazquez. “She worked long hours, and she was really supportive, just like I am.”
The Miss USA Organization confirmed that the woman who lost to De La Cruz in the Miss Puerto Rico pageant is Puerto Rican actress Alba Ayala. A representative for Miss USA said De La Cruz would not be representing the organization, adding that she is no longer allowed to compete.
The pageant began in 1967, and has always been run by the Miss Universe organization. As a result, Puerto Rican women have competed in the Miss Universe and Miss USA competitions.
“It’s a personal struggle for me for the past 12 years. I have fought hard to be able to compete,” Vazquez told NBC News, adding that she and De La Cruz were competing in the Miss Puerto Rico pageant to help Puerto Rico with its beauty queen problem and to raise awareness for