Who is Kate Dixon? Miss Teen Washington USA, 17, under fire for using N-word in old video
The newly-crowned winner of the Miss Teen Washington USA title, who is slated to represent her state at the 2022 Miss Teen USA pageant, has come under fire for allegedly using the N-word. Kate Dixon, who is 17 years old at present, is facing immense backlash after an old video of her resurfaced on social media. In the few-second-long clip, she uses the racial slur while people can be heard cheering in the background. The video is believed to be from three years ago when Dixon was only 14.
The footage was shared by TikTok user @juliuspleazerfanaccount, where Dixon and her friends were laughing in a car. She gestured a thumbs down at the camera, while saying, "Gangster [N-word]". Dixon was seated in the backseat and laughing while using the racial slur. A compilation video also showed Dixon and her friends lip-syncing to vulgar TikTok audio.
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The teen beauty queen was not ready to face the outrage within hours of her victory, as many demanded that her crown be revoked. The TikTok video with her has now gone viral with more than 8.6 million views. Social media users called out the teen star dubbing her actions as 'inexcusable' and she should not be allowed to contest in the Miss Teen USA pageant.
A Twitter user shared the video, noting, "friendly reminder that THIS is who just won the title of miss wa teen usa. for years, comments like Kate Dixon’s have been overlooked causing an unacceptable toleration of racism."
friendly reminder that THIS is who just won the title of miss wa teen usa. for years, comments like Kate Dixon’s have been overlooked causing an unacceptable toleration of racism. #missteenwausa #missteenwashingtonusa #missteenusa #missusa pic.twitter.com/G5QBjVZb1j
— lo ʕ •ᴥ•ʔ☆ (@tallblondiee) February 10, 2022
The footage was shared with FOX 13 Seattle by an anonymous tipster, which also included a clip of Kate Dixon lip-syncing about drug abuse and bullying. "People think I’m a coke w***e, but I’ve never done coke — on weekdays," she mouths in the clip while adding, "Be sure to bully everyone in high school. Why? Because it builds character for them."
"I never get sad. Why would I? I'm pretty," she joked in another clip.
Following the outrage, Dixon appeared in an interview with FOX 13 to address the issue. She claimed that the video was filmed more than three years ago without her knowledge when her upperclassmen peer pressured her into saying the racial slur.
"They coerced me into saying a racial slur. I told them, "No, I don’t want to say that. I know that it’s not appropriate." And they told me, "You have a free pass just this one time. It would be funny," Dixon recalled. She further explained, "So I decided, after much persuasion, I said the word that they wanted me to say and without my knowledge I was recorded."
She also apologized in public for her offensive behavior