Univision dropping Miss USA pageant over Donald Trump comments

NEW YORK — Univision is dropping the Miss USA pageant and says it will cut all business ties with Donald Trump over comments he made about Mexican immigrants.

The network said Thursday it will not air the July pageant and has ended its business relationship with the Miss Universe Organization, which produces the Miss USA pageant, due to what it called "insulting remarks about Mexican immigrants" by Trump, a part owner of Miss Universe.

During his presidential campaign kickoff speech last week, Trump accused Latino immigrants of bringing drugs, crime and rapists to the U.S. He called for building a wall along the southern border of the U.S.

Trump says he was only criticizing U.S. policies concerning Mexico, not its people. He says Univision is in default of a five-year contract.

Univision's decision is the latest in the fallout over Trump's remarks: On Thursday, Puerto Rican actress and Miss USA presenter Roselyn Sanchez severed her ties with the pageant. And on Wednesday, Colombian singer J Balvin canceled a planned performance.

A spokesman for Balvin said in a written statement that the singer's management told the Miss Universe organization to withdraw his name from an announcement about participants in the Miss USA broadcast.

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Sigal Ratner-Arias contributed to this report.