Renowned Lebanese-French composer Omar Harfouch was the first to step down on Tuesday, claiming the 30 finalists had been chosen in secret long before official judges voted. Harfouch described a parallel selection process operating behind the scenes, which he said undermined fairness and transparency.
“Many of these women come from humble backgrounds. They invest everything emotionally, financially, and physically for a chance to shine. When the process is manipulated behind closed doors, it’s not just unfair, it’s harmful,” Harfouch told The Times.
Harfouch said he attempted to restart the selection process with full transparency, but his proposal was rejected by Raul Rocha, president of Miss Universe. Following his resignation, Harfouch also withdrew a musical performance and is reportedly consulting lawyers in New York about a potential complaint alleging fraud, corruption, and breach of contract.
Hours later, former footballer Claude Makélélé also withdrew, citing “unforeseen personal reasons,” while a third judge reportedly resigned, although this has not been confirmed.
The Miss Universe Organization (MUO) denied allegations of rigging, clarifying that the Beyond the Crown programme operates independently and that all official competition evaluations followed established protocols.
Despite the controversy, Fátima Bosch of Mexico was crowned Miss Universe 2025, with runner-up Praveenar Singh of Thailand and third place going to Stephany Adriana Abasali Nasser of Venezuela.
The pageant has faced criticism in recent weeks after director Nawat Itsaragrisil publicly insulted Bosch during a photoshoot, prompting solidarity from other contestants. Harfouch described the incident as indicative of a culture of control and abuse of power, challenging the pageant’s claims of promoting empowerment and fairness.
Experts warn that scandals like these may further threaten the pageant industry, which is already facing declining interest. Hilary Levey Friedman, author and sociologist, said:
“Given the decline in interest in both pageant participation and TV viewership, this is serious.”
