A Lawsuit Against Former Puerto Rican Beauty Queen Splashes Miss World

Miss World 2016, the Puerto Rican Stephanie Del Valle finds herself in turmoil. Involved in the organization of Miss World 2021 in Puerto Rico, whose final gala last December had to be canceled due to the increase in covid-19 infections and was postponed to March 16, the model was sued by the Puerto Rico with a Purpose (PRwaP) society for breach of contractual obligations, collection of money and damages amounting to no less than 2,725,000 dollars.

PRwaP denounces that Del Valle’s company, Reignite Puerto Rico, agreed to transfer the funds from the sponsorship of the beauty pageant on the island, but the three checks delivered, for the amount of 1,225,000 dollars, were rejected by the bank when they were going to be deposited. Indeed, the Government of Puerto Rico and the Municipality of Rio Grande granted more than $1.2 million from public funds to Reignite Puerto Rico as early as October 2021.

This is stated in a lawsuit filed Monday in the Court of San Juan in the hands of the investigation team of Cuarto Poder (Wapa TV) in which it is alleged that the former Miss World, Stephanie Del Valle and her corporation Reignite “did not possess the financial capacity, personnel or experience to carry out the contest” so she subcontracted the company Puerto Rico With a Purpose L3C to transfer all the funds of public and private sponsorship to carry out the contest.

Reignite issued three checks totaling $1,225,000.00, but the lawsuit alleges that the company committed fraud because it immediately ordered its bank to stop payment and the checks were rejected when they were deposited by Puerto Rico With a Purpose L3C.

As a result, “the embezzlement and improper retention” of funds has jeopardized the celebration of the Miss World pageant in Puerto Rico scheduled for March 16, 2022.

“The damages that Reignite is causing and may continue to cause would be irreparable, since the failure to hold the Final of the Miss World 2021 Contest, would constitute irreparable damage to the Plaintiff, for the contestants representing other countries in the world, for the multiple economic commitments of multiple natural and legal persons, as well as the People of Puerto Rico,” the demand reads.

For his part, Del Valle has denied the allegations of the lawsuit and has cataloged it as a frivolous in a message published on her social network Instagram.

“Inject economic development, resources and tourism to our island; it has been, is and always will be our mission. Our only intention has been to properly manage the funds and keep our foundation away from what is frivolously alleged here,” Miss World 2016 wrote.

She assured on his message that his company returned the funds disbursed by the Government to cover part of the expenses of the Miss World celebration.

“All of the federal funds that the Government of Puerto Rico disbursed to Reignite Puerto Rico, as an advance for the promotion of the island through the celebration of the Miss World 2021 event, were frozen immediately after the cancellation of the event on the 16th. December,” wrote the model.

The Puerto Rico Tourism Company confirmed that yesterday the Miss World 2016 company, Stephanie del Valle, refunded the money that had been assigned as sponsorship to hold the international Miss World pageant in Puerto Rico.

“Yesterday, the Puerto Rico Tourism Company (CTPR) received a refund from the Reignite Puerto Rico organization for the amount that had been previously disbursed, as part of the sponsorship agreement established to support the celebration of the Miss World Pageant on the Island. The reimbursement received, which is equivalent to 50% of the funds that had been allocated for this event by the TC, come from an item that was assigned by the Financial Advisory Authority and Fiscal Agency of Puerto Rico (AAFAF), through ARPA Funds and the TC’s own funds,” said the communications director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company (CTPR), Leslie Diaz.

De Valle ended in her message that neither she nor any member of Reignite Puerto Rico has committed “embezzlement or illegal appropriation of federal funds allocated by the Government of Puerto Rico.”

“We reiterate to the people of Puerto Rico and public opinion that my foundation, none of our officers or I have committed embezzlement or illegal appropriation of federal funds allocated by the government of Puerto Rico, as alleged in the frivolous and malicious lawsuit filed yesterday,” she concluded.

She also described the lawsuit as “frivolous and malicious,” which will be heard on February 23 by Superior Judge Alfonso S. Martínez Piovanetti, in a videoconference hearing.

The lawsuit could affect the celebration of the Miss World final, scheduled for March 16 at the Puerto Rico Coliseum in San Juan.

Wait and see…