The Miss Universe 2025 pageant in Bangkok, Thailand, has been plunged into fresh turmoil after judge Omar Harfouch resigned, publicly alleging that the competition’s integrity has been compromised by pre-selection and conflict of interest.
Harfouch, a Lebanese-French musician and composer for the event, announced his decision on Instagram, claiming that the Top 30 finalists had already been chosen by a clandestine group before the contestants even participated in the official preliminary rounds.
The Allegations of a ‘Secret Jury’
In a series of posts, Harfouch stated that he resigned following a “disrespectful conversation” with Miss Universe owner Raul Rocha about the lack of transparency in the voting process.
Harfouch claimed that he and his fellow official judges were expected to choose from the top 30 names already selected by an “impromptu jury” or “Beyond the Crown Selection Committee,” rather than evaluating all 136 contestants.
Omar Harfouch: “I signed, when I signed my contract as a judge, it was to judge everyone… I cannot play with the destiny of young girls.”
He further alleged that this unofficial selection panel was “composed of individuals with a significant potential conflict of interest due to some [personal] relationships with some of the Miss Universe contestants, including the person responsible for counting the votes and managing the results.”
Speaking to People, Harfouch specifically claimed the conflict of interest included an alleged affair between a selection committee member and one of the contestants. Following his resignation, Harfouch stated he would also refuse to play the music he composed for the final event.
Contestant Corroborates Claims
The allegations were supported by an anonymous Miss Universe contestant who told People that rumours of the pre-selection were “heartbreaking” and that many delegates believed the pre-picked list violated conflict of interest rules due to personal relationships within the organization.
“Tonight, after walking off the rehearsals stage, many of us learned through social media, not the Miss Universe Organization, that the preliminary selection for the Top 30 was not only conducted without the presence of the official judges, but before we’ve even competed on stage,” the contestant said.
MUO Denies Claims and Bans Judge
The Miss Universe Organization (MUO) swiftly posted a strong statement on Instagram refuting all of Harfouch’s allegations.
Miss Universe Organization: “The Miss Universe Organisation firmly clarifies that no impromptu jury has been created, that no external group has been authorised to evaluate delegates or select finalists, and that all competition evaluations continue to follow the established, transparent, and supervised MUO protocols.”
In a rare and severe move, the MUO publicly acknowledged Harfouch’s withdrawal and prohibited him from “using, displaying, referencing, or associating himself with any Miss Universe trademarks… in any format.”
The controversy now overshadows the final competition, which is scheduled for Friday, November 21, 2025, in Bangkok, where Miss India Manika Vishwakarma is set to compete.