Miss Universe PH candidate Natasha Jung withdraws from competition due to 'personal reasons'
Natasha Jung, the municipality of Kananga's bet for Miss Universe Philippines 2024, announced her withdrawal from this year's edition of the pageant.
On her Instagram account, the beauty queen shocked fans when she posted a lengthy statement on her Instagram account detailing that she decided to discontinue her journey to the crown "due to personal reasons."
"As of the moment, I would like to prioritize my personal growth and commitments, and not to further involve the organization on the matter," Natasha wrote.
While she is now stepping away as an official candidate of Miss Universe Philippines 2024, she assured her followers that she will "remain committed to, and continuously promote" her advocacies.
"I will use this time to reflect on myself, my priorities, and to address the personal matters that require my immediate attention," Natasha explained.
"It is essential for me to take this opportunity to ensure that I am in the best possible state to navigate through [these] challenges effectively," she added.
She went on to stress that she is taking this time to evaluate her future commitments and endeavors and ensure that she can dedicate herself fully "when the time is right."
Natasha ended her statement by expressing her gratitude for being chosen as the representative of Kananga for the prestigious pageant and apologizing to the organization of Miss Kananga for any inconvenience caused by her withdrawal.
While her exit from the competition saddened many of her fans, they nevertheless expressed their support for her decision and sent her well wishes for whatever she is going through.
"Comeback more powerful queen Natasha, one user wrote.
Another one commented, "Comeback stronger next time! We love you!"
Prior to her announcement, Natasha had already sparked rumors about her sudden withdrawal after eagle-eyed fans noticed that she was nowhere to be seen when the organization uploaded the candidates' official headshots.
The upcoming Miss Universe Philippines 2024 will see a new queen taking over the reign of Michelle Dee, who represented Makati City during last year's competition. The winner will then represent the Philippines on the global stage of the 73rd Miss Universe competition, which is set to be held in Mexico.