Mund told Inside Edition she got “my voice out for the next girl."
Miss America Cara Mund opened up to Inside Edition about why she sent her recent bombshell letter to her sisters in the Miss America Organization.
Mund said she felt obliged to get her "voice out for the next girl," referring to a letter made public last Friday in which she claimed she was bullied by the heads of the organization.
“I sent the letter to my sisters to let them know what has been happening,” she said. “Now that it has gotten out, how can I make it better for the next girl? ... It is all about making sure for her it is that dream experience and opportunity to get Miss America and live it to the best ability because it only happens for a year.
“If I can do something to make it better for her, it is that much greater,” she added.
In the letter, Mund claimed Miss America’s leadership “silenced,” “reduced,” “marginalized” and “essentially erased me in my role as Miss America ... on a daily basis."
She told Inside Edition that she feel she was treated unfairly, adding her comments were directed not just at Chairwoman Gretchen Carlson but at the leaders of the organization as a whole.
“We want open and transparent leadership,” Mund said.
Twenty-three previous Miss America winners have signed a petition calling for the ouster Carlson and the entire board.
Carlson has denied claims of bullying.
"I was surprised and saddened by the letter from our reigning Miss America," she tweeted earlier this month. "I have never bullied or silenced you. Actions have consequences.”
Carlson also said, "We've acknowledged your grievances and taken many steps to try to make your experience a good one."
With the Miss America pageant less than three weeks away, Mund claims the pageant is punishing her by reducing her farewell speech to a mere 30 seconds.
A spokesperson for Miss America Organization told Inside Edition they are not firing Mund.
“To know that this letter might give them the courage ... [if] she feels like she is in an uncomfortable work situation and doesn’t feel like she is being valued, that she has a voice and that she is going to be supported,” Mund said.
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