Bisexual Miss Universe contestant reveals the one simple act at a petrol pump that prompted a stranger to hurl stream of racist abuse READ MORE: AFLW star Moana Hope and Maria Thattil put on loved-up display By Jimmy Briggs For Daily Mail Australia Published: 22:27 EDT, 21 August 2024 | Updated: 22:33 EDT, 21 August 2024 e-mail 24 shares View comments Former Miss Universe Australia beauty Maria Thattil has shocked her Instagram fans by revealing a horrific stream of racial abuse directed at her by a stranger. The bisexual model, 31, who was born in Melbourne to Indian parents , revealed how she was racially abused by a man at a petrol station after he misinterpreted a simple action. 'I was at the petrol station and there was a couple in front of me and the man heard me breathe and thought I sighed at him,' Maria began.
'He started abusing me for sighing at him and I'm like, "you heard me breathe, that's it". This man is abusing me at my car.' She added the man began hurling racial abuse at her and said: 'I'm abusing you because you're a f***ing immigrant.
' Maria then said she felt racism was a long-standing issue in Australia and something needed to be done to help change people's views. 'I'm a daughter of very hard-working immigrants and to me they are the best thing about Australia. People with these racist, hateful ideas are a stain on the country.
' She told her followers she had reported the incident to the police, but they were unable to take action as the altercation ha.