Just a few days before the final of the Miss Universe 2025 competition, the most famous beauty pageant in the world is going through a major crisis, punctuated by scandals and diplomatic blunders, in short, a superb shipwreck: public humiliations, accusations of racism, apologies full of tears and pathos, if the candidates do not seem to be having an excellent time, the spectators are enjoying themselves.
It all starts with the shocking revelation, just before the start of the event, of a change in direction: Anne Jakrajutatip, iconic Thai figure and first trans woman owner of the organization, is leaving the presidency in troubled circumstances, explains an article from Business Insider. Mario Búcaro, a former diplomat, then took the reins at short notice while Jakrajutatip’s company was going through serious financial difficulties, targeted by an investigation by the Thai Securities and Exchange Commission for accounting irregularities.
The new duo at the head of the competition, Mario Búcaro and Raul Rocha, quickly found themselves confronted with a new crisis: Nawat Itsaragrisil, newly appointed director of Miss Universe Thailand, publicly lost his temper against Miss Mexico and humiliated her during a meeting broadcast live. He accuses her of not showing up at a promotional event, insults her, calls her stupid and threatens her with expulsion in front of the other stunned competitors.
The scene causes an almost immediate shock wave: several candidates, including Victoria Kjær Theilvig (Miss Universe 2024), leave the room as a sign of solidarity, denouncing the violence and the lack of respect shown by the organizer. Many Misses, such as Noelia Voigt (Miss USA) and Sheynnis Palacios (Miss Universe 2023), in turn publish messages denouncing the public humiliation suffered by the Mexican candidate, and the loss of fundamental values to which the competition seems to be a victim.
Controversy after controversy
Faced with the outcry, Raul Rocha, president of Miss Universe, decides to take drastic measures: Itsaragrisil is banned from any event linked to the competition and severely restricted in the public square. In a surreal scene, the man tearfully apologizes to the press, acknowledging the seriousness of his actions and claiming to have acted out of emotion.
However, the storm is not weakening. In the wake of this controversy, Alicia Machado, ex-Miss Universe 1996, went off the rails live on Instagram by making racist remarks against Itsaragrisil, confusing Thai and Chinese origins on the air, adding stigmatizing racist gestures to the words. These statements are strongly condemned by the public and former winners, relaunching the debate on the image of the competition and the behavior of its ambassadors.
The matter does not end there for this cursed edition of the beauty contest. Miss Chili, Inna Moll, posts a controversial video on TikTok showing her pretending to sniff cocaine. Faced with the outcry, she explained and apologized publicly, citing a lack of understanding – she would only have followed a trend TikTok– and blames her makeup artist who allegedly pushed her to make the video.
Despite the rumors of disqualification circulating on the networks, the candidate remains in the running and continues to appear on the official accounts of the competition. The silence of the organizers, like that of the main protagonists, accentuates the feeling of chaos which seems to reign behind the scenes. Is there a pilot at the controls?
The Miss Universe 2025 competition continues its chaotic path, even if no one is safe from a new scandal between now and the final on November 21.
