10 Photos of Sarah Dzafce: Miss Finland's Title Revoked After 'Deep Hurt' To Asian Community

A beauty pageant title is meant to represent national grace, core values, and the highest standards of conduct on the global stage. But for one beauty queen, that honour lasted barely four months.

Crowned Miss Finland in September, Sarah Dzafce has had her crown brutally snatched away, not for failing to place in the recent Miss Universe competition, but for a single, offensive social media post that the Miss Finland organisation deemed to be in flagrant violation of Finnish values.

The fallout came on Thursday, December 13, weeks after the 22-year-old had returned home from the international pageant. The controversy centred on a photograph Dzafce had posted in late November. In the image, she was captured pulling the corners of her eyes into a mocking slant, an unequivocally racist gesture aimed at the Asian community. The caption attached to the image, written in Finnish, read 'kiinalaisenkaa syömäs,' which translates roughly to 'eating with a Chinese person.'

The troubling image was reportedly shared via the anonymous German app, Jodel, by a friend who, Dzafce initially claimed, had added the hateful caption without her knowledge. However, as the image began to circulate internationally, the damage was done. The backlash was immediate and fierce, forcing the organisation to address a social media action that completely undermined the very principles the Miss Finland title is supposed to embody.

Initially, Dzafce offered a weak and confusing defence, claiming she was merely suffering a 'severe headache' and had been rubbing her temples. This explanation did little to quell the mounting outrage and only served to further solidify the organisation's path toward disciplinary action.

The Price of the Crown: Why Miss Finland Sarah Dzafce Lost Her Title

The official decision was announced on Thursday via the Miss Finland organisation's Instagram account, making it crystal clear that the role comes with a non-negotiable level of public responsibility.

'The title of Miss Finland held by Sarah Dzafce has been revoked as of today,' the statement declared. They were quick to clarify that the decision was not about Dzafce's individual worth, but about the integrity of the role she held. 'When an individual carries a national and international representative role, actions and responsibility are inseparable.'

Finnartist Oy, the owner of the national beauty pageant, laid out the gravity of the violation in a separate, equally firm statement. They stressed that for over 90 years, the Miss Finland title has served to represent Finnish values such as 'respect, equality, responsibility, and human dignity.' The company asserted that these values are not 'mere words to us — they are the foundation of our entire work'. They concluded that the content Dzafce published was 'offensive, harmful, and completely against the values of the Miss Finland competition.'

Officials confirmed they had deliberately waited until the disgraced beauty queen had returned to the Nordic country following her international trip before delivering their definitive punishment. The message was unambiguous: 'Racism is never acceptable in any form.' They offered a profound apology to those harmed: 'We are deeply sorry for the harm these events have caused. Especially to the Asian community, but also to everyone affected.'

The Immediate Succession: The Legacy of Miss Finland Sarah Dzafce and the New Queen

Days before the revocation, Dzafce had posted an apology on her personal Instagram account, acknowledging the harm she had caused, though the statement ultimately came too late to save her crown.

'I fully understand that my actions have caused ill will in many people and I am deeply sorry for that,' she wrote, adding, 'I want to apologize, especially to those who have been personally affected by this situation. That was not my intention in any way.' She spoke of the responsibility of the role—a responsibility she was ultimately judged to have failed: 'The Miss Finland title is not just a crown for me, it is also a responsibility. I am responsible for how I speak, how I act, and how my actions can affect people.'

Despite her apology and promise to 'grow and learn,' the organisation was resolute. Dzafce, who failed to place in the Top 30 at the Miss Universe contest, was immediately replaced by the first runner-up, Tara Lehtonen.

The 25-year-old was crowned the new Miss Finland (Miss Soumi 2025) at a press conference held alongside the announcement of Dzafce's dismissal on Thursday, December 13. While Lehtonen will not get the opportunity to compete in next year's Miss Universe contest due to the timing, she accepted the crown with dignity.

'Today, I have accepted the title of Miss Finland 2025. I promise to carry this title with pride and deep respect,' Lehtonen wrote in her own statement, noting that the situation was 'completely exceptional' and that starting her duties 'in the middle of the year makes this journey different from usual'. Yet, she promised to 'do my best to turn it into an opportunity and to fulfill my duties well and with dignity.'

The organisation echoed a message of personal hope for the former titleholder, stating: 'We wish Sarah all the best in her future. A person can grow and learn—that is always possible.' However, as the National Director Sunneva Sjögren concluded, the 'high level of responsibility' required for the title was not met in this instance.

The entire episode serves as a powerful reminder of how quickly a public representative can lose their position when their personal actions clash catastrophically with the core values of the institution they represent.

The swift, decisive action taken by the Miss Finland organisation against Sarah Dzafce serves as a stark global reminder that a representative title requires unwavering public responsibility. Her dismissal, four months after being crowned, underscores the zero-tolerance stance institutions are now taking against actions that violate core values of respect and equality.