Miss Bolivia Universe 2018, Joyce Prado loses title after becoming pregnant

A 22-year-old beauty queen has been stripped of her title after getting pregnant because it reportedly goes against pageant rules

Bolivian model Joyce Prado, 22, has lost her Miss Bolivia Universe title after becoming pregnant during her reign. Yahoo! reports that Prado may have been stripped of her title because of pageant rules prohibiting pregnancy.

On Friday, the Bolivian modeling agency Promociones Gloria announced on Facebook that Prado, who had won the group's Miss Bolivia and Miss Santa Cruz pageants in 2018, was dismissed from her role as result of a "breach of contract."

"Promociones Gloria is announcing to Opinion Publica that the current Miss Santa Cruz and Miss Bolivia Universe 2018 has been stripped of her titles of Miss Santa Cruz and Miss Bolivia for reasons strictly related to a breach of contract, noting that we maintain cordial relations in an area of mutual understanding, honoring the confidentiality clause," the modeling agency wrote on Facebook.

While the modeling agency did not explicitly describe the nature of Prado's breach to safeguard a "confidentiality clause," Promociones Gloria did share more information on Instagram.

On Saturday, the agency shared a photo of an El Día Digital newspaper headline which read, "Joyce Prado is left without a crown because of her pregnancy."

In an interview with El Día Digital, Tatiana Limpias, an executive at Promociones Gloria, said the agency has "a five-year contract with Joyce," and that she "will remain in the ranks of the agency as a model."

That same day, Prado announced her pregnancy on Instagram. In the caption of her photo, the former queen wrote: "Becoming a father or mother may be the most important challenge that comes our way in life, but just as it can be difficult, it can also be the most rewarding thing in the world."

Prado was named Miss Santa Cruz in March 2018, and Miss Bolivia Universe in June 2018. Both pageants are hosted by the Promociones Gloria modeling agency in conjunction with Miss Universe.

In the FAQ section of the Miss Universe website, pageant rules state that contestants cannot be married or pregnant while involved in the competition.

"No, contestants may not be married or pregnant," the Miss Universe website states. "They must not have ever been married, not had a marriage annulled nor given birth to, or parented a child. The titleholders are also required to remain unmarried throughout their reign."

It is unclear if contestants may become pregnant at any point during their reign, or how long winners retain the crown, though new pageants take place each year. (Insider)