The Miss Universe 2025 pageant has been engulfed in controversy after former judge Omar Harfuch accused the results of being "rigged." Harfuch, a Lebanese-French musician who resigned from the panel two days before the coronation night, alleged that Mexico's Fatima Bosch, this year's crowned Miss Universe, was a "fake winner." He claimed he had informed HBO a day before the pageant that Bosch would win because MUO owner Raúl Rocha allegedly has business ties with Bosch's father. According to Harfuch, Rocha and his son approached him in Dubai a week earlier, asking him to vote for Bosch because her victory would benefit their business. He stated that individuals who were not official judges—including himself—were involved in the process, and only one person, allegedly linked to a national organization of a participating country, held the results, which he called a "clear conflict of interest." He added that he refused to stand before the public pretending to validate a process he did not truly participate in. The Miss Universe Organization has denied all his claims, stating that no unauthorized jury existed and that all evaluations followed MUO's standard, transparent protocols. They also clarified that the Beyond the Crown initiative is separate from the actual competition. Another judge, French football manager Claude Makélélé, also resigned for personal reasons, though he maintained his respect for the pageant. Miss Universe 2025 had already faced controversy early in the competition when Miss Universe Thailand's director Nawat Itsaragrisil was involved in a physical altercation caught on video, prompting MUO to bar him from further participation. He promised to reveal more evidence in May 2026. In a lengthy social media post, Harfuch also criticized the pageant's internal voting process, saying a "secret vote" was used to select the Top 30 candidates from 136 participants. Despite the chaos, Bosch ultimately won the crown among over 100 contestants, while the Philippines' Ahtisa Manalo finished as the third runner-up.
