Fátima Bosch of Mexico won the 2025 Miss Universe title Friday in Thailand, weeks after walking out of a pageant event in protest.
The controversy began at an early-November sash ceremony that was livestreamed, when Thai media personality and then-pageant director Nawat Itsaragrisil publicly berated Bosch for not taking part in some promotional activities. When Bosch stood to respond, Itsaragrisil called security and she was escorted from the room. She walked out along with several other contestants, including then-reigning Miss Universe Victoria Kjaer Theilvig of Denmark.
Bosch later told Thai media she was called “dumb” by the director and said the treatment was unfair because she had been doing her best. “The world needs to see this, because we are empowered women and this is a platform for our voice,” she said, adding that no one can silence them. Itsaragrisil, visibly emotional at a subsequent event, denied calling her a “dumbhead” as widely reported, said he had been referring to “damage” caused by behavior, and apologized to Bosch and fans, saying the pressure had gotten to him.
The fallout drew a public rebuke from Miss Universe Organization (MUO) President Raúl Rocha, who in a video accused Itsaragrisil of forgetting “the true meaning of what it means to be a genuine host” and said his actions — including calling security to intimidate a contestant — showed a lack of respect. Rocha warned of legal and corporate consequences and said he would restrict or possibly remove Itsaragrisil’s role in the pageant, though the two were photographed together at events days later.
The pageant faced further turbulence in the buildup to the final. Two of the eight judges quit within hours of each other: former French soccer star Claude Makélélé cited unforeseen personal reasons, while Lebanese-French composer Omar Harfouch publicly alleged the competition was rigged. Harfouch claimed a “secret vote” two days before the final had pre-selected 30 contestants and that an external group, not official jurors, had evaluated delegates. The MUO issued a detailed denial, saying no impromptu jury was created and suggesting Harfouch may have been referring to its separate “Beyond the Crown Program,” which has its own selection process.
Preliminary events were also fraught: during the evening gown round, Miss Jamaica Gabrielle Henry fell off the stage and was taken away on a stretcher. She did not compete in the finals. Rocha later said he had visited her in a Bangkok hospital and that she was under observation but had no broken bones.
In the final, Bosch was asked how she would use the Miss Universe platform to create safe spaces for women. She said she would put her voice “in the power and the service of others” and emphasized speaking up to drive change. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum praised Bosch at a press briefing, saying speaking out is an example and that “women are prettier when we speak and we participate.”
Since 2024 the Miss Universe Organization has been jointly owned by Thai media company JKN and Legacy Holding Group USA Inc., part of a Mexican company owned by Rocha. The organization has undergone multiple ownership changes since its founding in 1952 and has faced declining viewership and financial instability in recent years. Puerto Rico’s governor, Jenniffer González-Colón, announced that the island will host next year’s competition.