Karlie_Hay on Instagram Tomball's Karlie Hay was named Miss Teen USA on Saturday night in Las Vegas. "I admit that I have used language publicly in the past which I am not proud of and that there is no excuse for," Hay posted on Twitter about 2 a.m. Sunday. "Through hard work, education and thanks in large part to the sisterhood that I have come to know through pageants, I am proud to say that I am today a better person," she continued. Hours after being crowned Miss Teen USA, Karlie Hay took to Twitter to take responsibility for offensive language found on her Twitter page. Through hard work... — Karlie Hay (@RealMissTXteen) July 31, 2016 
 
 The Miss Universe Organization, the parent company of Miss Teen USA, said in a statement to ABC News that though the language she used "unacceptable at any age and in no way reflects the values of The Miss Universe Organization," she will keep her crown. "As Karlie stated, she was in a different place in her life and made a serious mistake she regrets and for which she sincerely apologizes," the statement said. In a series of tweets she wrote, "Several years ago, I had many personal struggles and found myself in a place that is not representative of who I am as a person. We as an organization are committed to supporting her continued growth." "I am honored to hold this title and I will use this platform to promote the values of The Miss Universe Organization, and my own, that recognize the confidence, beauty and perseverance of all women," Hay tweeted Sunday.
– Miss Teen USA 2016 was supposed to take a step in the direction of feminism and equal rights as the contest ditched the swimsuits for athletic wear. But in the wee hours following the event that crowned Miss Texas Karlie Hay, the 18-year-old high school senior took to Twitter to do damage control on, well, previous comments on social media. Accused of repeatedly using racial slurs, people began to take screenshots and call her out on it, reports the Houston Chronicle. Hay, her school's varsity cheer captain and yearbook editor, apologized on Twitter at 2am Sunday: "I admit that I have used language publicly in the past which I am not proud of and that there is no excuse for. Through hard work, education and thanks in large part to the sisterhood that I have come to know through pageants, I am proud to say that I am today a better person." Former Miss Teen USA Kamie Crawford issued her own message on Twitter: "If you win any pageant—first things first. Clean up your page. Because if you're under 21, you shouldn't be drinking and if you're white, the N-word ain't your word." The Miss Universe Organization, parent company of Miss Teen USA, tells ABC News that while Hay's language was "unacceptable at any age," she will keep her crown because she "learned many lessons through those personal struggles that reshaped her life and values." Meanwhile, E! News reports that model Chrissy Teigen took issue with the final five, who were all white and blond. "Wow how can we choose from such a diverse bunch," she tweeted, later adding, "It's fiiiiiine. Not their fault. I'm sure they are delightful women. Just funny. I'm not gonna write a think-piece on a damn pageant."