The Miss Universe 2025 competitors has taken another dramatic turn after one of many judges for this 12 months’s pageant abruptly stop three days earlier than the occasion this week, alleging that the 30 finalists had been pre-selected by an “impromptu jury.”
On Tuesday, Omar Harfouch shared the information to his Instagram tales, saying his withdrawal and expressing his “profound confusion and concern” in regards to the 30 finalists.
“As I Jury member of Miss Universe, I want to specific my profound confusion and concern after discovering, by way of social media, that an impromptu jury has been fashioned to pick out the 30 finalists from among the many 136 collaborating international locations, with out the presence of any of the actual 8 members of the jury, together with me, and that the outcomes of this choice are at the moment being stored secret,” Harfouch started.
He stated that in line with info circulating on-line, the non-official jury was “composed of people with a major potential battle of curiosity as a result of some private relationships with a few of the Miss Universe contestants, together with the individual chargeable for counting the votes and managing the outcomes, which constitutes an additional battle of curiosity.”
Harfouch then claimed he spoke with the Miss Universe committee about his disapproval of the preliminary choice, which he says was “carried out with out the presence of the eight official judges, together with myself.”
“They rushed to publish a listing of names related to the choice on their Instagram web page, with out specifying the position performed by these people, creating even better confusion,” he added.
A screenshot of Omar Harfouch’s Instagram Tales,.
@OmarHarfouch / Instagram
Following a “disrespectful dialog with Raul Rocha,” the Miss Universe group’s president, in regards to the “lack of transparency within the Miss Universe voting course of,” Harfouch determined to resign from the jury and “refuse to be a part of this charade.”
“I may even not be enjoying the music I composed for the occasion,” he added.
A screenshot of Omar Harfouch’s Instagram Tales,.
@OmarHarfouch / Instagram
Miss Universe Group’s response to the claims
The Miss Universe Group (MUO) issued a press release shared to Instagram following Harfouch’s allegations towards the pageant.
“In gentle of latest public statements and social media posts, the Miss Universe Group considers it essential to make clear sure inaccuracies concerning the Past the Crown Program and the official judging processes of the 74th Miss Universe competitors,” the assertion started.
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“On November 17, the Miss Universe Group publicly launched the official choice committee of the Past the Crown Program, an unbiased social affect initiative designed to advertise management, service, schooling, well being, inclusion and significant assist for charitable causes. This system operates completely individually from the Miss Universe competitors and from the official judging panel.”
The MUO stated Harfouch’s revealed statements “incorrectly urged that an unauthorized or impromptu jury had been fashioned and that the official judges had been excluded from the number of finalists.”
“The Miss Universe Group firmly clarifies that no impromptu jury has been created, that no exterior group has been licensed to guage delegates or choose finalists, and that every one competitors evaluations proceed to observe the established, clear and supervised MUO protocols,” the group stated.
“Given Mr. Harfuch’s [sic] expressed confusion, his public mischaracterization of this system, and his said want to not take part, the Miss Universe Group respectfully acknowledges his withdrawal from the official judging panel.”
The MUO stated that “efficient instantly,” Harfouch is prohibited from “utilizing, displaying, referencing or associating himself with any Miss Universe emblems, service marks, logos, titles or registered properties, in any format, medium or communication, whether or not digital, written or verbal.”
The group threatened to take authorized motion towards Harfouch if he continued to affiliate himself with the pageant.
After the assertion was posted, Harfouch shared it to his Instagram tales, writing, “The Miss Universe comitte[sic] simply recognised that that they had finished a pre number of 30 contestants with out the data of the official membre[sic] of the jury. Wich[sic] is totally hilarious!”
Harfouch’s response to MUO’s menace of authorized motion
In a follow-up submit following MUO’s menace of authorized motion, Harfouch stated he had “formally consulted one of many main regulation corporations in New York to look at the potential submitting of a proper grievance earlier than the Workplace of the Lawyer Basic towards the Miss Universe Group.”
“The problems below evaluate embrace, however aren’t restricted to: fraud, abuse of energy, corruption, deception, breach of contract, battle of curiosity, and emotional and reputational damages,” he added in his assertion.
Harfouch stated the “secret and illegitimate vote” was held to find out “the High 30 contestants earlier than the arrival of the official jury.”
“This vote was carried out by people who aren’t acknowledged members of the official judging panel, together with not less than one individual with a *private romantic relationship with a contestant* — a truth which constitutes a transparent and severe *battle of curiosity* and should qualify as *collusion* and *manipulation of a world competitors*,” he added.
“Along with the structural fraud, I used to be misled and publicly used to present credibility to an election course of that was already compromised. The emotional trauma, reputational injury, and the numerous time and power I invested — particularly in composing authentic music for an occasion that violated elementary ideas of equity — aren’t negligible and might be included within the authorized claims for *damages and compensation*.”
Harfouch went on to “formally warn all previous and present judges” that “from this second ahead, participation within the last jury of Miss Universe could legally implicate them in an act of global-scale fraud.”
“Now that this info has been made public, their involvement could possibly be thought of as *knowingly collaborating in a manipulated final result*, and should carry *oblique authorized penalties,” he added.
A second choose resigns hours after Harfouch
A second Miss Universe choose resigned days forward of the pageant, set to start on Friday.
French soccer supervisor and former soccer participant Claude Makélélé took to Instagram to announce he would now not be capable to take part as a choose.
“It’s with remorse that I have to announce that I received’t be capable to attend the Miss Universe 2025 occasion as a result of unexpected private causes,” Makélélé wrote.
“This was a tough selections, as I maintain Miss Universe within the highest regard. The platform represents empowerment, variety, and excellence — values I’ve all the time championed all through my profession.”
Makélélé apologized to the group, the contestants and everybody concerned.
“I hope to have the ability to contribute sooner or later below higher circumstances. Thanks in your understanding and assist,” he added.
The information of Harfouch and Makélélé’s departures comes two weeks after Nawat Itsaragrisil, govt director of the MUO, reprimanded Miss Universe Mexico, Fátima Bosch, throughout a sashing ceremony, inflicting her to face up and go away the room.
A number of contestants, together with the present reigning Miss Universe, Denmark’s Victoria Kjær Theilvig, Miss Universe Canada Jaime VandenBerg and Miss Universe Iraq Hanin Al Qoreishy, adopted Bosch out of the room in solidarity.
The MUO issued a press release following the incident and Rocha stated he wouldn’t permit “the values of respect and dignity of ladies to be violated.”
Rocha stated he gave the instruction to postpone the sashing ceremony, “and the place this unlucky incident occurred, exactly to keep away from any interplay with Nawat, who, in his fixed want to be the centre of consideration, brought on this incident.”
He additionally restricted Itsaragrisil’s participation within the occasions which might be a part of the 74th Miss Universe competitors, “limiting it as a lot as potential or eliminating it completely.”
