After backlash from Vietnamese pageant fans, Pia Wurtzbach clarifies 'misunderstood' tweet

Pia Wurtzbach woke up to a barrage of angry tweets from Vietnamese netizens after she tweeted her shock that Vietnam has more pageant fans than Philippines.

"Woah! Woke up to so many angry fans from Vietnam! I think some of you misunderstood my tweet last night!" Pia wrote in the caption of her post.

The said tweet which sparked angry fans read, "Mas maraming pageant fans sa Vietnam kesa sa Pilipinas? #MissUniverse"

Mas maraming pageant fans sa Vietnam kesa sa Pilipinas? ???????? #MissUniverse

— Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach (@PiaWurtzbach) May 17, 2021

Pia tweeted it after Vietnam got into the Top 21 for having the most number of votes.

The Miss Universe 2015 queen clarified that she "didn't mean any harm by it at all."

"For years I was told (and I believed) that the Philippines had the most pageant fans in the world," she wrote.

"But yesterday Vietnam got the highest votes in history! Which meant I was wrong. Which surprised me! That's it!! That's all I meant by my tweet!" she added.

Pia said she wasn't being "sarcastic or questioning your win at all."

"Hope this clears it up. Congratulations Vietnam for the highest votes in Miss Universe history!" she also said.

Vietnam bet Nguyen Khanh Van Tran got into the Top 21 as the wild card with the most number of votes in history.

Just like Miss Vietnam, Philippine bet Rabiya Mateo also finished her stint at the 69th Miss Universe early as one of the Top 21, failing to make it into the Top 10.

Rabiya Mateo hoped to become the fifth Filipina to win the Miss Universe crown after Catriona Gray (2018), Pia (2015), Margarita Moran (1973) and Gloria Diaz (1969).

Andrea Meza of Mexico was crowned as the new Miss Universe followed by Brazil's Julia Gama as the 1st runner-up, Peru's Janick Maceta del Castillo as the 2nd runner-up, India's Adline Castelino as the 3rd runner-up, and Dominican Republic's Kimberly Jimenez as the 4th runner-up. —Jannielyn Ann Bigtas/JCB, GMA News