A public insult hurled at a contestant during a live-streamed Miss Universe event in Bangkok triggered a mass walkout, casting a shadow over the pageant which is already struggling with declining ratings and financial difficulties.
The incident occurred when the host country director, Nawat Itsaragrisil, confronted Miss Mexico, Fatima Bosch, on a live stream over her alleged lack of participation in sponsor promotions.
As Bosch began to defend herself, Itsaragrisil cut her off, commanded her to "listen, I'm still talking," and called her a "dumbhead" before summoning security.
The intense exchange has prompted dozens of contestants, led by Miss Universe 2024, Denmark's Victoria Kjaer Theilvig, to rise in solidarity with Bosch and staged a walkout.
"I am not a doll you dress and change," Bosch stated in a subsequent interview, emphasizing her determination to be a voice for all women fighting for their causes.
Facing a viral firestorm, Itsaragrisil issued a tearful apology, claiming he was under pressure and had actually said "damaged," not "dumbhead."
In a swift response, Raul Rocha, president of the Miss Universe Organisation (MUO) released a video statement condemning Itsaragrisil for "intimidating a defenseless woman" and "forgetting the true meaning of what it means to be a genuine host."
Rocha also announced the restriction on Itsaragrisil's participation in the 74th Miss Universe Competition, with MOU chief executive Mario Bucaro taking over his duties to oversee the event in Thailand.
Miss Mexico with dyslexia
Despite the backfire over the pageant, Bosch's quick thinking and composed response earned her applause, elevating her status as a strong contender for the crown.
At 25, Bosch is a graduate of the Fashion Design program at Universidad Iberoamericana and has studied in Milan and the United States, providing her with a solid international perspective.
Representing the southeastern Mexican state of Tabasco, Bosch broke the mold in a nation known for its beauty queens primarily hailing from central and northern regions.
Underneath her achievement, there is an undercurrent of battle issues caused by dyslexia, ADHD, and school bullying—but she turned these difficulties into a determined voice to stand her ground.
Crown contested?
As one of the top-tier global beauty competitions with 73 years of history, the agency has been the most-watched beauty pageant globally, broadcast in over 160 countries.
Once owned by current US President Donald Trump until 2015, the pageant has faced a decline in reputation and financial troubles since its acquisition by Thai media tycoon and transgender rights advocate Anne Jakrajutatip's JKN Global Group for approximately HK$1.57 billion.
Controversies arose during JKN's tenure as the organization sought to promote inclusivity by allowing married women, mothers, and transgender contestants to compete—a move that sparked both praise and significant backlash.
Last year, the pageant was rocked when both Miss USA and Miss Teen USA resigned, citing a "toxic work environment"-- a first in the organization's 70-year history.
The continued controversy has led to declining ratings, where English-language broadcasts, which once drew 6.2 million viewers, hit a new low of 2.7 million in 2022.
Meanwhile, JKN has itself fallen into financial distress, entering court-supervised restructuring and facing potential delisting from the Thai stock exchange.
In a move seen as a financial lifeline, JKN sold a 50 percent stake in the Miss Universe brand to Mexican businessman Raul Rocha last year for HK$1.25 billion—a move critics have described as a "quick-fix" sale that further diminished the brand's value and image.
Jakrajutatip, 46, is the first female owner of Miss Universe. The executive, who comes from a conservative Thai-Chinese family, completed her gender transition in 2018 after a series of surgeries beginning in 2015.
