Miss Universe Organization president Raúl Rocha Cantú (left) and former judge Omar Harfouch (right) appear in separate photos. Rocha Cantú has denied Harfouch’s allegations of irregularities in the 2025 pageant, while Harfouch maintains his claims after resigning days before the finals. (Photo Sources: Miss Universe Organization and Omarharfouch. com) Miss Universe leaders and former judge Omar Harfouch issue conflicting explanations over alleged irregularities in the 2025 pageant, which MUO firmly denies BANGKOK The Miss Universe Organization (MUO) and former judge Omar Harfouch have issued conflicting accounts of events behind the Miss Universe 2025 competition, after Harfouch resigned days before the finals and publicly alleged that the selection process leading to Fátima Bosch’s victory lacked transparency. MUO has strongly denied the allegations and has not announced any independent review. Harfouch, a Lebanese-French businessman, pianist, and political activist known for his anti-corruption advocacy, served briefly on the judging panel before stepping down. Harfouch’s allegations In public posts released shortly before the coronation, Harfouch said he resigned after questioning how semifinalists were chosen. He alleges that the Top 30 candidates were “pre-selected” by what he calls an “impromptu jury,” a group he claims operated outside the official panel. He also alleges that some of those involved had personal relationships or affiliations with certain contestants. Harfouch says he raised his concerns directly with MUO leadership, including organization president Raúl Rocha Cantú, and described their exchange as unsatisfactory. He then withdrew from all pageant-related duties, including a planned musical performance. He later described the pageant results as “rigged” and referred to Bosch as a “fake winner.” These remarks reflect Harfouch’s own characterization; he has not released evidence to support the claims, and no outside body has confirmed them. MUO denies allegations and defends its process MUO, led by Rocha Cantú, has categorically rejected Harfouch’s statements. In an official response, the organization said his claims “incorrectly suggested” that an unauthorized committee had chosen semifinalists. MUO stated that all scoring followed established Miss Universe protocols and confirmed that no external group was permitted to select finalists. The organization said Harfouch may have misunderstood “Beyond the Crown,” a social-impact initiative that plays no role in competition scoring. MUO also said Harfouch is no longer authorized to use Miss Universe trademarks following his public allegations. Rocha Cantú has not made additional statements beyond MUO’s official release. The organization maintains that Bosch’s win is legitimate. Other judges raise concerns, though not about rigging Former footballer Claude Makélélé, originally part of the judging roster, withdrew shortly before the finals for personal reasons and has not echoed Harfouch’s claims. Former Miss Universe Natalie Glebova, who served on the final judging panel, wrote online that Thailand’s Praveenar Singh, the first runner-up, was her personal choice. She noted that earlier editions included an onstage independent auditor and expressed interest in restoring that practice. She did not endorse allegations of misconduct. A competition already under scrutiny The 2025 Miss Universe season had drawn major attention even before the dispute. A livestreamed encounter in which Thai pageant figure Nawat Itsaragrisil reprimanded Bosch during a pre-pageant activity led to criticism and a brief walkout by several contestants before Nawat apologized. Separately, Miss Jamaica Gabrielle Henry was hospitalized after falling from the stage during preliminaries, prompting safety questions. Other contestants faced online harassment or political scrutiny, adding to the heightened tension surrounding this year’s competition. Ownership and leadership shifts Miss Universe is co-owned by JKN Global Group of Thailand and Legacy Holding Group USA, each with a 50 percent stake. JKN Global acquired MUO in 2022 and later sold half of its stake to Legacy Holding, whose principal Raúl Rocha Cantú serves as MUO president. In October 2025, MUO announced Mario Búcaro as its new Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Anne Jakapong Jakrajutatip, who stepped down earlier in the year.
https://asianjournal.com/entertainment/miss-universe-leadership-and-ex-judge-in-public-dispute-over-rigging-allegations/
