Kinsley Wilson steps down as co-Miss Spelman after pageant controversy

Kinsley Wilson, who was named co-Miss Spelman College after a scoring error sparked months of controversy, has stepped down, saying she wants to prioritize her mental health.

Wilson and Jillian Collier were named co-Miss Spelman College in April after school officials acknowledged a scoring error that initially declared Wilson the sole winner.

In an interview with Baller Alert, Wilson said she made the decision as she goes into her senior year at the all-women’s college in Atlanta, after months of negative online comments.

“I would’ve never expected this to become what it was,” Wilson said.

In a statement posted on Instagram, Spelman College acknowledged that Wilson had stepped down and said it looks forward to the year ahead with Collier as the 43rd Miss Spelman College.

At the April 11 pageant, Wilson was initially crowned as the sole Miss Spelman College.

However, four days later, pageant officials alerted her there was a technical error and that she had only won the popular vote.

The full competition includes a pre-pageant interview, performance, artistic expression, a question-and-answer segment, presentation, community achievement and an overall composite score.

Spelman College notified Collier that she had received the highest overall score.

On April 17, the school announced it was moving forward with co-Miss Spelman College titleholders.

“Spelman College completely owns the administrative error that occurred during the initial scoring process,” Spelman College said in a statement to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Kinsley has every right to express her experience, and we are proud of the leadership, grace, and poise both Kinsley and Jillian have shown.

“Our primary focus remains supporting both Kinsley as an esteemed member of our student body and Jillian as she steps into her reign as Miss Spelman.”

Wilson said she was distraught when she learned she had not been the highest-scoring contestant.

Wilson added in the interview that speculation spread that she didn’t care about her Spelman peers because she remained a co-queen.

But she said that wasn’t true.

“Being in that position and holding on to that position was causing more harm than good,” said Wilson. “If me stepping down can make it a better experience for those other women, then it’s 100% worth it.”