Miss Universe Judge Resigns Amid Controversy
In a shocking turn of events, two judges have resigned from the Miss Universe pageant, alleging rigging in the selection process just days before the event in Thailand.
Lebanese-French musician Omar Harfouch, who announced his resignation from the eight-member jury on Instagram, alleged that an impromptu jury had pre-selected finalists ahead of the competition, set to be held on Friday in Thailand.
Hours later, French football manager Claude Makélélé also announced he’d pulled out, citing unforeseen personal reasons.
The resignations come just weeks after several Miss Universe contestants walked out of a pre-pageant event over controversial comments made by an official from the host nation Thailand.
An impromptu jury has been formed to select 30 finalists from among the 136 participating countries, without the presence of any of the real [eight] members of the jury, including me, Mr. Harfouch wrote in an Instagram post on Tuesday, saying he had discovered this via social media.
The unofficial jury comprises individuals with a significant potential conflict of interest due to some personal relationships with some of the Miss Universe contestants, he claimed.
Mr. Harfouch did not elaborate on how this impromptu jury would function, or how it would override the official jury's decision.
The Miss Universe Organisation, however, quickly released a statement to refute Mr. Harfouch's claims. They stated that no external group has been authorised to evaluate delegates or select finalists, suggesting that Mr. Harfouch may have been referring to the Beyond the Crown programme: a social impact initiative that operates independently from the Miss Universe competition, which also has its own separate selection committee.
The allegations from Mr. Harfouch come shortly after heightened scrutiny of the event, especially following the backlash against Thailand's director Nawat Itsaragrisil, who faced criticism for publicly berating Miss Mexico, Fatima Bosch, over promotional content at a pre-pageant event.
In a statement, Mr. Makélélé described his resignation as a difficult decision and acknowledged the platform's values of empowerment and diversity, which he has always championed.
As the Miss Universe pageant nears, tensions escalate amid claims and counterclaims, further complicating an already turbulent event.
