by InTrieste
The coronation of Martine Diop Bullo as the 2026 “Maria del Carnevale,” the beauty queen of the Venice Carnival, has been overshadowed by a wave of online attacks targeting her Senegalese heritage.
Diop Bullo, 18, a student of digital management, became the focus of derogatory comments on social media following her victory in the historic festival. Many of the messages criticized her based on her skin color and African descent.
Born in Italy to a Senegalese father and an Italian mother, Diop Bullo resides in Mestre, the principal city on the Venetian mainland.
Festa delle Marie
On Monday, she won the Festa delle Marie, a central event of Venice’s Carnevale in which twelve contestants parade in Renaissance-era costumes. The festival commemorates the rescue of twelve young Venetian girls who were kidnapped by pirates in 973.
Soon after the announcement, social media platforms were flooded with messages questioning her “Italianness” and criticizing the jury’s choice as politically motivated. Some comments included: “Let’s continue destroying traditions to force inclusion,” “100% Venetian!” and “If I wear self-tanner, will you elect me too?”
Venice city officials responded by deleting the most offensive remarks and arranging a meeting with Diop Bullo to express the city’s support, according to Corriere della Sera.
Diop Bullo Responds
“I was obviously upset; they were very violent comments. But I don’t want to focus on that,” Diop Bullo said. “I’ve received so many good comments that I want to focus only on those. I know who I am, I know where I come from. I’ve never been bullied, neither at school nor in society, and I don’t care about being bullied on social media.”
She added, “I’m Venetian and I love Venice. In life, I try to bring a cheerful touch to things, but I’m deeply saddened and worried that these things are still happening in 2026, in a world where these differences shouldn’t exist anymore.”
The racist messages were first noticed by Diop Bullo’s grandmother, who encountered them while searching online for news about her granddaughter during the initial celebrations.
Festival Officials Condemn Abuse
Maria Grazia Bortolato, president of the Festa delle Marie, expressed her disappointment. “It’s shocking how far human cruelty can go,” she said. “Martine is a gorgeous girl and should have just been happy these days. The judges voted for her for her beauty, her maturity, and also for how she’s been able to relate to other people these past few days.”
Bortolato added, “She’s intelligent, empathetic, cheerful, and strong. She has all the right qualities. I can only imagine how hurt her parents were. No one deserves this kind of treatment.”
