Latest update March 21st, 2025 7:03 AM
Latest News
Who’s the real Miss Emancipation franchise holder?
By Kiana Wilburg
A “bitter work relationship” now has two women competing to prove that one is the real franchise holder of the Miss Emancipation Pageant.
Kaieteur Entertainment was contacted by Melissa Varswyk to publish a press release on the launch of the said pageant which is slated to take place in August.
Melissa Varswyk
Shabakie Fernandes (right) and Alexis Connelly
Varswyk informed this publication that she is the Chief Executive Officer, while her Public Relations Officer, Maxi Fox said that they wanted an interview with this publication on Thursday last to discuss the history of the Pageant among other details. The interview which was to be held at their Lot 5 Bel Air Gardens Office did not take place but the article was nonetheless published last Friday.
On that day, a press conference was held by Shabakie Fernandes and Alexis Connelly where the matter came to the fore. The duo claimed that they are the Public Relations Officer and the Franchise owner respectively of the said pageant.
They admitted that they worked together with Varswyk and Fox, on the pageant in 2013 but parted after some disputes.
A few months after, Fernandes said that she noted that Varswyk continued to use the pageant’s name.
The PRO then proceeded to show media operatives a copy of a letter from the Deeds and Commercial Registries Authority. The letter was addressed to Varswyk of Lot 10 Princes Street, Wortmanville, explaining to her that the name “Miss Emancipation Pageant” conflicts with another name that pre-existed on the Register and is currently active. It went on to state, “The name of the pageant will be removed as it was erroneously accepted and registered. You are also advised that an appeal can be made to the Minister (of Legal Affairs) within 21 days of this notice.” The notice was dated June 17.
Fernandes also showed another document which showed Varswyk’s registration of three titles on April 2; Miss Emancipation Pageant, Miss Emancipation and the Miss Emancipation Queen.
The PR personnel said that their plans for the pageant are currently hanging in limbo as the matter has been taken to the court.
But Varswyk told a different story after being apprised of Fernandes’ claims.
She said, “We have the documents and the evidence to show everything. This pageant is ours. We are not trying to steal anything and we negate everything. I registered my pageant earlier this year in April. Before working on this pageant I worked with another colleague in 2012 on a pageant called Miss African Queen. Maxi and I left the group and started our own pageant and of course we didn’t want to use that name because it was registered. We started something called Miss Emancipation Queen in 2013 and it was not registered and Fernandes and Alexis started working with us then. The following year I decided that you know what before I continue I will register. I then registered three titles, Miss Emancipation, Miss Emancipation Queen and Miss Emancipation Pageant. The people at the Deeds Registry had none of these titles existing in their system. They showed it to me. So how can they now come claiming that it is their own? That makes no sense.”
“We had our fair share of disagreements because of some of the things they had in mind for the pageant and I was totally against it. When we parted company they all of a sudden decided that they are the owners and that is a total lie. I have the documents to prove that they are being the imposters and not us. And that letter they got from the Registry and giving it to the media should not be taken just like that.”
In speaking with her PR, Fox said, “We will be filing a writ against them tomorrow (today). We don’t have anything to hide. This is our pageant and we will prove it.”
Picture saved in Monday as ceo
Caption: Melissa Varswyk
Picture saved in Monday as ceo two
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
“One Guyana” is no less a national slogan than “Green Guyana”
Kaieteur News- The notion that “One Guyana” is a partisan slogan is pure poppycock. It is a desperate fiction... more
Weekend Cartoon
