The Miss Universe pageant has been rocked by a powerful protest after several contestants staged a dramatic walkout to challenge the treatment of a fellow delegate by an organizer. The controversy erupted during a pre-pageant ceremony in the host nation, Thailand, when a pageant official publicly and harshly criticized Miss Mexico.
The Official at the Center of the Storm
The official in question is Nawat Itsaragrisil, a 60-year-old Thai businessman and an executive director of the Miss Universe Organization. Itsaragrisil, who is responsible for overseeing the pageant in his home country, has since been widely accused of toxic behavior following the tense public confrontation with Miss Mexico.
Why Miss Mexico Was Berated
The incident occurred during a live-streamed sash ceremony on Tuesday. Itsaragrisil targeted Miss Universe Mexico, Fatima Bosch, apparently losing his temper over contestants who he believed were not following pageant rules, specifically concerning participation in a sponsorship shoot.
The Thai businessman was reportedly upset because Miss Bosch had allegedly followed her country director’s advice not to post promotional materials supporting the host country, Thailand.
The Tense Four-Minute Exchange
During the ceremony, Itsaragrisil called out Miss Mexico, publicly demanding she stand up. The exchange lasted four minutes and quickly escalated as he accused her of showing “no respect” by declining to participate in the social media shoot.
“Mexico, where are you?” he asked. “I heard you’re not going to support everything about Thailand, is that true?”
He continued to criticize Bosch for listening to her country’s officials rather than following Miss Universe rules. It was during this heated exchange that he publicly called her a “dumbhead.”
When Bosch rose to defend herself, Itsaragrisil tried to silence her. “I still keep talking to everybody, why you still stand up to talk to me?” he demanded.
Miss Bosch delivered a powerful reply that sparked the subsequent walkout: “Because I have a voice. You are not respecting me as a woman,” she stated, prompting Itsaragrisil to call for security.
Angered by the organizer’s outburst, several Miss Universe contestants left the room in a show of solidarity with Miss Mexico.
Organizer Apologizes in Tears
Following the massive backlash and the highly visible walkout, Nawat Itsaragrisil held a press conference where he issued an apology. Visibly emotional, he broke down in tears while addressing the controversy.
“I want to apologize to everyone. I had no idea how big this issue would become,” he said.
However, during his apology, he denied one of the primary accusations from the confrontation, claiming he did not call Miss Bosch a “dumbhead,” but rather said that she had caused “damage.”