Two Miss Universe Judges Resign, One Claims Contest Is Rigged

Two judges have resigned from the Miss Universe competition, with one judge later claiming that the whole contest was rigged.

Omar Harfouch left the competition, which is currently underway in Bangkok, before the winners were announced. He posted on Instagram Wednesday that he was considering legal action against the organization for misconduct.

The former judge claimed, “two days before the final, a secret vote was held to pre-select 30 contestants out of the 136.” Harfouch went on to allege that the vote “was carried out by individuals who are not official members of the jury” and that “no one knows who the selected 30 are, except one individual who holds the results.”

He said the “same person is affiliated with a national organization of a participating country,” which is a clear “conflict of interest.”

“I could not stand before the public and television cameras, pretending to legitimize a vote I never took part in,” the post went on. “Some of the countries eliminated through this process could be at war, discriminated against, or geopolitically sensitive. Viewers would assume the jury made these decisions, and I cannot bear responsibility for a process I did not participate in. Pretending otherwise would be dishonest.”

The Lebanese-French judge said he was considering legal action. “I was misled and publicly used to give credibility to an election process that was already compromised,” he said. Harfouch also accused a member of the group who made the selections of being romantically involved with a contestant.

Another judge, former soccer player Claude Makélélé, also left the competition on Tuesday. His Instagram blamed his departure on “unforeseen personal reasons.”

“This was a difficult decision, as I hold Miss Universe in the highest regard,” he wrote in the post. “I hope to be able to contribute in the future under better circumstances.”

The official Miss Universe account responded to Harfouch’s accusations with a social media post denying all claims.

“The Miss Universe Organization reiterates that all judging procedures for the 74th Miss Universe competition remain official, transparent, and fully governed by MUO protocols,” it said. “The Beyond the Crown Program operates independently and is not part of the competition’s evaluation process. We encourage all audiences to refer exclusively to verified MUO communications and to continue supporting the delegates who embody the values of Miss Universe.”

The organization did not immediately return The Daily Wire’s request for additional comment on the allegations.

The pageant began on November 5 and concludes Friday. Earlier this month, several contestants walked out after one of the contest’s co-owners reprimanded Miss Mexico, Fátima Bosch, for not participating in promotional activities. Thai businessman Nawat Itsaragrisil later apologized for the incident.

Then on Wednesday, the Miss Universe pageant made headlines again after Miss Jamaica Gabrielle Henry fell off the stage and had to be carried away on a stretcher. She is currently recovering and is “stable” with “no broken bones,” per a social media update.