Miss T&T Aché Abrahams: ‘Pageant experience left me broken’

Former Miss Trinidad and Tobago Aché Abrahams has spoken out about her painful experience in the pageant world, saying it left her emotionally, mentally and financially drained.

In a YouTube video posted to her channel, Abrahams — who represented Trinidad and Tobago at Miss World 2023 and placed in the Top 4 — said she would “never go back into the pageant space again” after what she endured.

“For me, repping my country meant so much to me. It’s actually what kept me going through a lot of the trials and tribulations I was dealing with behind closed doors that people don’t know the truth about,” she said.

Abrahams, 24, described the 18 months she spent as titleholder as “the toughest period” of her life, saying she suffered severe depression, anxiety, and had to seek therapy.

“I should not be leaving as a shell of myself. I should not be leaving from the experience feeling financially drained, emotionally drained, mentally drained… If this is a space that’s supposed to empower women, why are we coming out feeling broken?” she asked.

She alleged that behind the glamour of the crown, she was constantly criticised, belittled, and even gaslit. “As a mental health advocate, I should not be having to literally advocate for mental health while somebody is actively destroying my mental health. That’s not ethical,” Abrahams said.

The former beauty queen explained she stayed silent for a long time, fearing her truth would be misinterpreted as “messy” or “beefing.” But she said she felt compelled to speak out for the sake of young women entering the pageant world.

“I’m scared that what they’re going to deal with will be like what I experienced or even worse. And as a mental health advocate, I cannot knowingly misguide young women into these positions,” she said.

Despite the hardship, Abrahams insisted her motivation to carry on was always her country. “All I wanted to do, all that kept me going literally was I kept saying I want to do this for my country. I want to do this for Trinidad and Tobago. I gave my heart and soul and that’s exactly what I did,” she said.

Abrahams concluded by stressing that while pageants could empower women, her experience proved otherwise. “What makes it worse is them literally doing a smear campaign on me after all the hardship they already put me through,” she added. “I left feeling less confident. I had to rebuild myself and literally invest in my mental health. If this is about women empowerment, I should not be leaving feeling disempowered.”