THIS is the 21-year-old beauty queen who overcame a ‘rough’ childhood and online trolls to represent Spain at the Miss Universe competition.
Behind the makeup, the glamour, the dresses and the smiles of pageant contestants, there is often a deeper story waiting to be discovered.
Miss Universe Spain 2024, Michelle Jimenez, is no different.
At 21-years-old, the Business and Marketing student grew up in various children’s homes on the Balearic Islands.
The oldest of nine siblings, she ‘basically raised’ her brothers and sisters, something which she is very proud of.
Michelle is very close to her grandmother, who ‘always had her back’.
She said: “She always told me I was the prettiest and the cleverest.”
But Michelle hasn’t always received love and support, being criticised for her Dominican ancestry, the colour of her skin and her tattoos.
“The critique started when I was put in the top three. It’s hard to deal with but I won’t give into bullies,” she said.
Now, she will compete against 100 other women in the Miss Universe competition, held on November 16 in Mexico.