‘This Won’t Stop Me…’: Miss Kansas Alexis Smith Denounces Her Attacker Sitting in the Audience at the Pageant

Alexis Smith, 25, the new Miss Kansas, publicly confronted her attacker who was in the audience as she was selected to represent the Sunflower State in next year’s Miss America pageant. Smith vowed to eliminate unhealthy and abusive relationships during her acceptance speech at Pratt Community College on June 8, according to a report from the NYP.

“My vision as the next Miss Kansas is to eliminate unhealthy and abusive relationships,” Smith said onstage. “Some of you in this audience have seen me get very emotional because my abuser is here today. But that’s not going to stop me from standing on this Miss Kansas stage and standing as the next Miss Kansas because my community and I deserve healthy relationships,” she added.


The audience applauded and cheered Smith for his courage.

Smith, a full-time cardiothoracic critical care nurse, shared her experience in a Facebook post after winning the title. “On the night of Miss Kansas, my journey took an unexpected turn when someone I was caring for tried to disrupt my peace,” she wrote. “Instead of falling into silence, I chose to live my vision for a better world. I took back power, not just for myself, but for my dreams and for everyone watching and listening,” she added.

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Smith stressed that his call was not about “dismissing others,” but about transforming “pain into purpose and channeling it in a way that unifies and uplifts.”

Smith’s courage was praised by hundreds of people on social media, including the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence, which hailed her “courage and advocacy” as truly inspiring.