Who is Alicia Machado? Miss Universe star caught in Donald Trump Miss Piggy row – here’s what we know
Claims it took five years to get over being fat shamed by the out-spoken presidential candidate
HILLARY Clinton referred to Alicia Machado in the first live 2016 presidential debate when branding rival Donald Trump 'sexist'.
She said of her: "One of the worst things he said was about a woman in a beauty contest.
"He loves beauty contests, supporting them and hanging around them, and he called this woman 'Miss Piggy,' then he called her 'Miss Housekeeping' because she was Latina."
Here are five things you didn’t know about Alicia Machado
Why winning Miss Universe almost ruined her life
Venezuelan beauty Alicia Machado was crowned winner of Miss Universe in 1996, a competition which had just been bought by Trump.
After winning, the then-19-year-old found herself gaining weight which was deemed unacceptable by the Manhattan business mogul.
Threatening to strip her of her title, Trump ordered Alicia to diet and forced her to complete a stringent workout regime.
On one occasion he forced her to workout in-front of him and members of the press who filmed and snapped photographs of her.
The now 39-year-old Alicia reflected on this time in a video endorsing his rival Hilary.
She said: “I was the first Miss Universe after Trump bought the pageant.
“He was overwhelming. I was very scared of him. He’d yell at me all the time. He’d tell me, ‘You look ugly,’ or, ‘You look fat.’ Sometimes he’d ‘play’ with me and say, ‘Hello, Miss Piggy’, ‘Hello, Miss Housekeeping’.’
Alicia claims it took her five years to get over his treatment of her, during which she battled with eating disorders anorexia and bulimia.
Still going strong
Alicia went on to trade pageants for success as an actress, starring in a string of telenovelas – a childhood dream come true.
She is also a successful businesswoman, with a line of products bearing her name.
According to her website, she was nominated for a Grammy, launched a fashion line, and appeared on the cover of more than 100 magazines.
Political activist
The mum-of-one can add ‘activist’ to her list of accolades.
In June she teamed up with civil rights icon Dolores Huerta in Virginia to join immigrant advocacy groups in encouraging Latinos to register and vote for Clinton.
Officially became a registered US citizen in 2016
On August 19 Alicia became a registered US citizen and pledged to use her first ever vote in Clinton’s favour.
Once accused of aiding would-be murderer and threatening to kill judge
In 1998 – just two years after being crowned – Alicia was accused in court documents in her home country of driving her boyfriend away from the scene of a shooting.
Judge Maximiliano Fuenmayor said on national television that she threatened ‘to ruin my career as a judge and … kill me’, the AP reported.
Reuters reported that he ‘said she would make sure, using her friendship with the president (Rafael Caldera), that my career as judge is ruined and then she would kill me’.
The indictment, if it had led to criminal trial, would have carried a jail term of up to 18 months if she had been found guilty.
It’s reported that she admitted making the call but that that she said it was to thank him for what it described as ‘his unbiased pursuit of justice’.
READ MORE
Trump hits back in ‘Miss Piggy’ sexism row saying Miss Universe piled on ‘a massive amount of weight’ after being crowned
Donald Trump vs Hillary Clinton in US Presidential debate – the six things you need to know
