Miss Vietnam’s tears cause controversy

“During my stint as Miss Vietnam, it’s rare for people to see me cry, not because I don’t have feelings, but because I always force myself to be strong so that wherever I go, whatever I do, I have to match the energy of a beauty queen,” Ha said two days after the 2022 Miss Vietnam final on December 23.

“However, at that moment full of nostalgia, I couldn’t hold back these proud and happy tears. Those tears come from the heart, not from the brain. Genuine feelings never make a person look bad.”

Do Thi Ha cries on stage during a speech at Miss Vietnam on December 23, 2022. Photo courtesy of Miss Vietnam

But her tears sparked controversy online. On social networks, some expressed sympathy, but some felt uncomfortable. They criticized Ha for not knowing how to control her emotions and said that her performance was “overdone” and “too extra”.

“Is she acting? I think this is too extra. I just want to skip her speech because I can’t hear a thing. She should tone it down,” user Nam Tran commented on Facebook

“It’s easy to understand why she cried. The girl was in her feelings. It was a special moment that she is proud of, give her a break,” user Trinh Ngoc Linh wrote.

Pham Kim Dung, deputy head of Miss Vietnam organizers defended Ha. She said Ha has been crying so hard backstage. Although she was comforted and encouraged by the crew, she was still emotional and cried every time someone checked in on her.

“Ha is a strong girl, but yesterday was very emotional. I understand that Ha really cherished the moment of transferring the crowd to the new beauty queen. Ha also told me that she is afraid to cry when she gets on stage. I told her that she should follow her heart and don’t need to try too hard to stay cool or calm,” Dung said.

Dung added that it was normal for a girl in her twenties to cry like that, so the organizers didn’t feel the need to intervene.

Ha, 21, from Thanh Hoa, became Miss Vietnam in 2020. In March, she competed at the 2022 Miss World in Puerto Rico and made it to the top 13.