While Steve Harvey’s misstep at Miss Universe 2015 seemed insurmountable in terms of controversy, the 2025 edition has far surpassed that episode.
The victory of Mexican Fátima Bosch, far from closing a stage, has triggered what many consider to be the deepest and most complex crisis in the history of the contest.
What started as a media conflict during the rally has escalated into an international legal problem involving the organization’s top management.
The co-owners of Miss Universe Organization (MUO), Anne Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip and Raúl Rocha Cantú, are facing criminal investigations simultaneously in Thailand and Mexico, respectively.
Both processes are unrelated to the contest itself, but have caused sectors of the public and analysts to consider it possible -for the first time in decades- that the winner’s title could be compromised.
Jakkaphong, who acquired the Miss Universe brand in October 2022 for US$20 million, is accused by Thai authorities of an alleged fraud scheme initially estimated at US$1 million, but reported by local media to have risen to US$30 million during the investigation.
On November 25, the businesswoman was due to appear in a Bangkok court to hear the verdict in her case. She did not attend. As a result, an arrest warrant was issued and the hearing was postponed to December 26. However, various reports suggest that Jakkaphong may have left Thailand, intensifying the uncertainty. These speculations gained strength when Lupita Jones, former director of Miss Universe Mexico, insinuated that the executive could be in Mexican territory.
Miss Universe and the crown of Fatima Bosch
In parallel to the crisis in Thailand, the other co-owner of MUO, Raúl Rocha Cantú, is facing a major federal investigation in Mexico. He bought 50% of Miss Universe in January 2024 for US$16 million, but now the FGR is accusing him of his alleged participation in a criminal network dedicated to huachicol and arms trafficking between Mexico and Central America, as revealed by the newspaper Reforma.
Journalist Carlos Loret de Mola reported that Rocha Cantú has decided to take advantage of the Attorney General’s protected witness program to cooperate with the authorities, after a federal judge sent the case to another court based in Querétaro. This possibility places his legal situation in an even more delicate scenario.
Musician Omar Harfouch, who resigned from the pageant jury alleging irregularities in the voting of the 30 semi-finalists, confirmed to PEOPLE his intention to legally challenge the results before a court in New York, where the MUO is registered. Her departure from the panel fueled suspicions about the transparency of the process, and now her court announcement adds a new layer of tension to the controversy.
Although so far there is no evidence directly linking Bosch to the accusations, the complex situation surrounding the organization has meant that the debate about a possible revocation of the crown – which initially seemed to be a simple rumor in networks – has begun to be considered a scenario that, at least legally, can no longer be completely ruled out.
Find out more at ‘QueOnnda.com’.
