After the golden crown adorned with diamonds and pearls rested on the head of Miss Mexico, Fátima Bosch, 25, this Friday in Bangkok, not only did another chapter of the world's most famous beauty pageant close. Above all, it marked the end of an edition that will be remembered as one of the most turbulent in its history: public snubs, accusations of rigged voting, unexpected resignations, stage falls, internal tensions among owners... A long list of controversies surrounding Miss Universe 2025 has revealed a deep fracture in a show that is desperately trying to reinvent itself, now as a social media spectacle.
Thailand, for the fourth consecutive year, has been the host country of a historic contest (held since 1952) organized by a Thai media tycoon named Nawat Itsaragrisil and Mexican businessman Raúl Rocha. Both with two cultural and strategic visions of the contest that, according to analysts, clashed in an edition that was more focused on its projection on TikTok than on putting on a good TV show.
The first controversy was sparked by Nawat during a pre-contest ceremony: the billionaire publicly scolded the now winner, Mexican Fátima Bosch, for allegedly not posting enough promotional content on her social media. In front of the other contestants and during a live broadcast, the Thai called her "stupid." Bosch defended herself, and Nawat reacted by ordering security to remove her from the stage.
However, other models stood up and began to leave the room in support of their colleague. The episode - after which the Mexican became one of the top public favorites to win the crown - caused a stir on social media and had an impact on the international press. "I stand in full solidarity with Fátima Bosch and all the incredible women who withdrew yesterday in protest against the unacceptable treatment that occurred at the Miss Universe 2025 Orientation in Thailand," wrote Miss USA 2023, Noelia Voigt.
"I believe the world needs to see this because we are empowered women, and this is a platform for our voice. I will not allow the values of respect and dignity towards women to be violated," Bosch stated in a post on Instagram. The tension escalated to the point where an international delegation of executives was sent to Bangkok to take control of the contest. Nawat ended up apologizing in a tearful video and was expelled from the event.
A week after this incident, two judges resigned abruptly, putting the contest back in the headlines. Franco-Lebanese composer Omar Harfouch publicly accused the organization of setting up a "secret and illegitimate voting system" to select the 30 finalists even before the official jury arrived. He claimed that external individuals, including at least one with a romantic involvement with a contestant, had participated in that vote.
Harfouch said he is considering filing formal complaints with judicial authorities, citing fraud and abuse of power. The organization denied the accusations, but suspicions rose again after a second judge, former French footballer Claude Makélélé, a former Real Madrid player, resigned.
The contest continued with eventful preliminary rounds, such as the night Miss Jamaica slipped and fell on stage. Or controversial moments like when Miss Chile, Inna Moll, pretended to snort a line of cocaine live on TikTok while doing her makeup. Or "racist comments" from a former Mexican Miss Universe calling Nawat "Chinese" because "all those with slanted eyes are." This stirred controversy in Thailand.
The popular contest did not start off on the right foot after the era of businesswoman Anne Jakrajutatip, the first transgender woman owner of Miss Universe, who acquired it for 20 million dollars in 2022. Jakrajutatip opened the contest to transgender women, married women, those with children, and eliminated age limits. She also laid the groundwork for the event, amid a decline in TV ratings, to transform into a more global brand through TikTok, turning models into content creators and cosmetics sellers on e-commerce platforms.