Ashley Callingbull knew going off-script at the Miss Universe Canada pageant could create controversy, but she did not anticipate how ugly the reaction would become. After publicly calling out Indigenous cultural appropriation during the competition, the former titleholder says she has received death threats, racist slurs and messages telling her to kill herself. Still, she refuses to regret speaking up.
Callingbull opened up about the fallout from her unscripted pageant moment in a new interview with PEOPLE, revealing that the criticism has gone far beyond disagreement over her stance.
“I think this is why we need to speak up is after I spoke up, I experienced so much racism and hate,” she told the outlet.
The 36-year-old said she has received death threats, racist slurs targeting her Indigenous heritage and messages urging her to take her own life. Callingbull admitted the response has been “quite surprising,” particularly because she has also spent considerable energy trying to educate people about why the costumes caused offense.
Callingbull, a Plains Cree woman from Enoch Cree Nation, made history in 2024 as the first Indigenous woman to win Miss Universe Canada. She later represented the country at Miss Universe, finishing in the Top 12.
Despite describing the current situation as “emotionally heavy,” Callingbull said she remains mentally strong.
“I can’t control what life throws at me, but I can control how I react to it,” she explained.
Ashley Callingbull Went Off-Script Over Two Controversial Costumes
The controversy began during the national costume portion of Miss Universe Canada 2026 in Windsor, Ontario.
Callingbull, who was preparing to co-host the Aug. 8 final, saw footage from the earlier costume competition and was stunned by outfits worn by contestants Karisa Haverkamp and Jasleen Kaily.
Haverkamp’s look incorporated a feathered headdress and a red handprint across her face, imagery associated with awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Kaily appeared in an “Arctic Beauty” ensemble featuring fur clothing, fur boots described as mukluks and braids.
“It felt like a slap in the face to the Indigenous community,” Callingbull told PEOPLE.
She immediately contacted pageant officials and suggested safeguards, including cultural liaisons who could help prevent similar situations.
However, Callingbull ultimately decided a behind-the-scenes conversation was not enough.
During the live final, the teleprompter unexpectedly stopped working while Callingbull and national director Sonny Borrelli were hosting. She seized the opportunity to address the controversy without warning organizers beforehand.
Callingbull told the audience that cultural appropriation had occurred before stressing that reconciliation requires people to “educate and learn and understand and move on from these things in a good way.”
Miss Universe Canada Responds And Promises Changes
Rather than distancing itself from Callingbull, the Miss Universe Canada organization acknowledged the controversy and promised changes.
Borrelli said onstage that the organization took responsibility for causing offense and intended to learn from what happened.
The pageant subsequently announced plans for a comprehensive Costume Guide establishing standards for future competitions. Callingbull was also invited to become an official liaison for the costume competition going forward.
Both contestants involved have apologized. Kaily said her intention was never to disrespect or misrepresent Indigenous culture but to celebrate one of Canada’s First Peoples. Haverkamp similarly acknowledged that her costume caused “hurt and offence” and said she appreciated what she learned from the experience.
Callingbull told PEOPLE that Haverkamp also apologized to her personally.
For the former titleholder, that willingness to listen is ultimately what she hoped her intervention would accomplish. “Accountability is everything,” she explained.
Ashley Callingbull Says Staying Silent Was Never An Option
Callingbull’s decision to commandeer the live moment was not entirely spontaneous in spirit.
She recalled experiencing racism at work when she was just 14 and receiving advice from her grandfather that remained with her years later.
“Ashley, if you never speak up… things will never change,” she remembered him telling her.
That philosophy has followed Callingbull throughout a career that has repeatedly broken barriers. Beyond becoming the first Indigenous Miss Universe Canada, she previously became the first Canadian and First Nations woman to win Mrs. Universe in 2015 and has used her platform to advocate for Indigenous issues.
Her latest stand also comes amid a turbulent period for the broader Miss Universe world.
As The Blast previously reported, the 2025 international competition became engulfed in controversies ranging from a viral confrontation involving eventual winner Fátima Bosch to accusations surrounding the judging process. The organization later faced further scrutiny after Miss Jamaica Gabrielle Henry suffered a frightening fall during the preliminary competition.
Miss Universe Canada Star Refuses To Back Down After Death Threats
Despite the disturbing messages, Callingbull says the response has not convinced her that speaking out was a mistake.
Instead, she believes the backlash demonstrates why difficult conversations remain necessary.
The former beauty queen acknowledged that constantly explaining the issue has been “exhausting,” but she hopes the controversy leads to stronger safeguards around cultural representation at future pageants.
She also wants her experience to encourage others who feel pressured into silence.
“Regardless if people try to silence you or you feel like the world is against you, use your voice and speak up because you have no idea the impact it can make,” Callingbull told PEOPLE.
Despite the personal toll, she remains determined to take the heat if it results in change.
