Just days before the 2025 Miss Universe pageant in Bangkok, a major storm broke out — and this time, it wasn’t about the contestants or the fashion, but about how the pageant itself was being run. Omar Harfouch, a pianist-composer who was supposed to be one of the judges, publicly quit. And his reason? He claims the whole list was rigged. Here’s what really seems to be going on.
The Heart of the Accusation
Harfouch says he discovered through social media, of all places, that an “impromptu jury” was formed to pick the top 30 finalists, before any real judging happened on stage. According to him, this shadowy panel wasn’t part of the officially announced eight judges.
Even more damning: he alleges that some of the people in that jury have personal relationships with certain contestants, potentially a big conflict of interest.
One name he pointed out? The person responsible for counting votes.
When he tried to raise these concerns with the organisation, Harfouch says he got a brusque and dismissive response from CEO Raúl Rocha.
In what he calls a “disrespectful conversation,” he realised he could no longer be part of what he views as a charade. So he stepped down — not only quitting as a judge, but also refusing to perform the music he had composed for the pageant.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DRNKcnLkp28/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=43f71897-e65d-47d8-97df-89ae95b88122
What Does the Miss Universe Organisation (MUO) Say?
Unsparing in its rebuttal, the MUO denies Harfouch’s claims. They state that no such “impromptu jury” was ever given authority to pick finalists, and that all evaluations are being done according to their usual, transparent protocols.
They also clarified that the “Beyond the Crown” selection committee, the one named in MUO’s Instagram post, is completely separate from the competition’s judging process.
In fact, after Harfouch’s resignation, the organisation has explicitly banned him from using any Miss Universe trademarks, branding, or even referring to himself in relation to the pageant.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DRNDIUxk6yQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=31622ef5-342a-4cd0-a7e9-1ea7b7e59318
Voices from Inside
The fallout hasn’t been limited to just Harfouch. One anonymous contestant told People that many of the contestants themselves were shocked by the whole thing — and more than that, hurt. They apparently found out through social media (not from MUO) that the top 30 were possibly already picked.
She called it “heartbreaking” — especially after all the sacrifices the contestants made: leaving jobs, working non-stop, enduring stress.
She praised Harfouch, saying, “We thank Omar … for standing up for integrity when the organisation would not.”
To add to the drama, another judge, former footballer Claude Makélélé, also resigned shortly after Harfouch — though he kept his reason vague, simply thanking fans for their understanding.
Why This Matters
At its core, the controversy raises serious questions about fairness and transparency in major beauty pageants. Miss Universe isn’t just a show; for many contestants, it's a culmination of years of hard work, huge personal investment, and dreams of representing their countries. If there’s even a perception that decisions are being made behind closed doors, it chips away at the very legitimacy of the competition.
For Harfouch, this seems to have been a moral stand. He didn’t want to be part of something that, in his words, lacked integrity. And for some contestants, his decision was a validation. On the flip side, MUO is trying to manage reputational risk, denying the claims, reasserting their rules, and distancing themselves from Harfouch now that he’s out.
About The Author
Comment List