Miss Universe 2024 winner Victoria Kjær Theilvig criticised for lip-syncing racial slur

Victoria Kjær Theilvig stands at the top of the Empire State Building in New York City. Photo / Getty Images

Social media users attack Victoria Kjær Theilvig for posting a video of herself apparently miming along to Jay Z’s Empire State of Mind.

The winner of Miss Universe 2024 has been criticised for appearing to lip-sync the N-word at the top of the Empire State Building.

Victoria Kjær Theilvig, who was lauded by Republicans as the “anti-woke winner” when she was crowned, has been attacked by social media users for posting a video of herself where she is apparently miming along to Jay Z’s Empire State of Mind.

The song features a racial slur which the 21-year-old lip-synced but did not appear to say out loud while filming herself at the top of New York’s Empire State Building, wearing her Miss Universe sash and crown.

In the windswept video, Theilvig appears to sing along to rapper Jay Z’s line: “N**** I be striped out, I could trip a referee, tell by my attitude that I’m most definitely from New York.”

She appears to have deleted the original video which prompted the controversy, and uploaded a clip of her miming along to a different part of the song that does not feature the N-word.

While several people on social media attacked the 21-year-old, others suggested she was falling victim to a culture war.

Theilvig won the Miss Universe contest in Mexico City on November 16, beating more than 120 contestants.

When asked how she would live differently if nobody would judge her, Theilvig told the judges she would not change anything, saying, “I live by each day.”

She said her message to viewers was to “keep fighting… no matter where you come from”, adding: “I stand here today because I want a change, I want to make history, and that’s what I’m doing tonight.”

Theilvig embarked on a tour of New York after winning the pageant, lighting up the Empire State Building in the red and white of the Danish flag, and is currently making an official visit to Thailand.

Theilvig and the Miss Universe pageant have been approached for comment.