Gretchen Carlson Denies 'Bullying' Allegation

Gretchen Carlson

Gretchen Carlson, a former Miss America who now serves as chairwoman of the organization's board of directors, on Sunday responded to claims by current Miss America Cara Mund that she has been bullied, manipulated and silenced by the pageant's current leadership, including Carlson and CEO Regina Hopper.

In a letter sent Friday to former Miss Americas, Mund said she decided to speak out despite the risk of punishment, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

"Let me be blunt: I strongly believe that my voice is not heard nor wanted by our current leadership; nor do they have any interest in knowing who I am and how my experiences relate to positioning the organization for the future," Mund wrote. "Our chair and CEO have systematically silenced me, reduced me, marginalized me, and essentially erased me in my role as Miss America in subtle and not-so-subtle ways on a daily basis. After a while, the patterns have clearly emerged, and the sheer accumulation of the disrespect, passive-aggressive behavior, belittlement, and outright exclusion has taken a serious toll."

Cara Mund

In a series of tweets and a lengthy statement posted to her Twitter account Sunday, many of which were addressed directly to Mund, Carlson said she was "surprised and saddened" about Mund's accusations. Noting that the current Miss America didn't reach out to her directly via phone before making her claims public, Carlson said she has had contact with Mund only via email, which has been the latter's preference.

"Cara, let me be clear: We, as an organization, are very proud of you and all you have accomplished. You are smart, caring and ambitious," Carlson wrote. "As a Brown graduate, you aspire to go to law school and one day run for Governor in your home state of North Dakota. You embody the mission of Miss America."

Please see my statement in full below pic.twitter.com/rvmee4es7g

— Gretchen Carlson (@GretchenCarlson) August 20, 2018