Cheryl Burke Steps Down From Hosting Miss USA Pageant Over Donald Trump Remarks
Cheryl Burke has announced that she is resigning from her planned hosting duties at the 2015 Miss USA pageant, the latest in a series of blows dealt to the pageant following Donald Trump’s controversial remarks on immigration, MSN is reporting.
The 31-year-old Burke, perhaps best known as a dancer and choreographer on Dancing With The Stars, announced on social media Tuesday that she no longer wishes to be associated with the pageant due to its connection with Donald Trump, who has owned the pageant since 1996.
“In light of the recent statements made by Donald Trump and the subsequent decision by NBC to cut ties with Mr. Trump, I cannot in good conscience move forward with participating in this year’s Miss USA pageant as its co-host. Effective today I have withdrawn from my duties with Miss USA. Although I will not be there in person, I wish all of the contestants much luck as I know how hard they’ve all been working over the last year to try and realize their dreams.”
In another blow to the pageant, scheduled co-host Thomas Roberts has joined Cheryl Burke in stepping down from Miss USA. Roberts also used social media to announce his decision.
Best of luck to all #MissUSA2015 contestants this year & THX to the good people behind the scenes @MissUniverse – been a joy working w/you!
— Thomas Roberts (@ThomasARoberts) June 30, 2015
Burke and Roberts join Univision hosts Roselyn Sanchez and Cristian De La Fuente, who were to host the Miss USA’s Spanish-language broadcast of the pageant, in dropping out. NBC and Universal have both announced that they will not air the pageant.
During his speech, where he announced his candidacy for the 2016 Republican nomination for president, Trump, who has promised to build a brick wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and send Mexico the bill, made remarks about Mexico that have been seen as insensitive, according to Time.
“When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not sending you. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists.”
In light of those remarks, NBC — which has had a longstanding relationship with the billionaire — not only cancelled its airing of the Miss USA pageant, but cut all ties with Trump entirely.
With neither NBC (which owns the rights to the pageant) nor Univision broadcasting the pageant (NBC will air an American Ninja Warrior special instead), Miss USA — which, says Pop Crush writer Samantha Vincenty, has become “increasingly irrelevant” — is without a television broadcaster and will instead be live-streamed on the internet.
As of this post, it is not clear who will replace Cheryl Burke and Thomas Roberts as hosts of the July 12 Miss USA pageant.
[Image courtesy of: Getty Images / Jason Kempin]
