Amid Scandal and Strife, Mexico’s Fatima Bosch Crowned Miss Universe in Dramatic Turnaround

In a coronation that defied the very controversies threatening to derail it, Mexico’s Fatima Bosch was crowned Miss Universe on Friday in Bangkok, Thailand. The 25-year-old model’s victory marks the climax of an exceptionally turbulent pageant season, one that laid bare a deep cultural and strategic rift between the event’s new leadership and nearly led to her disqualification just weeks before.

A Clash of Cultures and a Walkout

The drama erupted earlier in November during a pre-pageant event. Thai media mogul Nawat Itsaragrasil, the license-holder for this year’s competition, publicly berated Bosch in front of dozens of fellow contestants. His grievance? She had failed to post sufficient promotional content on her social media channels. When Bosch objected to the public reprimand, Mr. Nawat called security and threatened to disqualify any contestant who supported her.

In a moment that became a symbol of solidarity, Bosch walked out of the room—and was followed by a significant number of her peers. The Miss Universe Organisation, now run from Mexico by businessman Raul Rocha, swiftly condemned Mr. Nawat’s behavior as “malicious.” In a starkly worded intervention, Rocha told his Thai business partner via video call to simply “stop.” An apology from Mr. Nawat, who claimed his words were “misunderstood,” did little to quell the crisis, forcing the organisation to send a delegation of international executives to Bangkok to take over the competition’s operations.

Allegations of Rigging and a Shaken Jury

The instability only intensified a week later when two members of the high-profile judging panel resigned. Lebanese-French musician Omar Harfouch announced his departure on Instagram, alleging that an “importun jury” had pre-selected finalists ahead of the live final, compromising the competition’s integrity. “The process was not transparent,” he claimed. Hours later, former French football star Claude Makelele also resigned, citing “unforeseen personal reasons.”

The Miss Universe Organisation firmly rejected Harfouch’s claims, stating that “no external group has been authorised to evaluate delegates or select finalists.” They suggested the confusion may have stemmed from the “Beyond the Crown” programme, a separate social impact initiative with its own selection committee. Despite the explanation, the damage to the pageant’s credibility was done, casting a shadow over the preliminary competitions.

Turbulence at the Top: A Brand in Transition

This string of controversies is symptomatic of a larger identity crisis within Miss Universe. The pageant is in the midst of a rocky leadership transition following the sudden resignation of its CEO, Thai transgender businesswoman Anne Jakrajutatip, just before the pre-pageant events began. She was replaced by Guatemalan diplomat Mario Bucaro.

Jakrajutatip had acquired the pageant from US entertainment giant Endeavor in 2022 and instituted sweeping reforms towards inclusivity, allowing transgender women, married women, and mothers to compete, while also scrapping age limits. As television audiences declined, she aggressively sought to monetize the brand through merchandise.

Before her departure, she brought in Raul Rocha as a business partner and tapped Nawat Itsaragrasil—founder of the digitally-savvy, merchandise-driven Miss Grand International—to organize the 2024 pageant. This has created a fractured power structure, with key roles split between leaders in Bangkok and Mexico.

“This is a very rocky transition,” noted Dani Walker, an American beauty queen and pageant coach. The confusion is damaging, echoed Paula Shugart, a former president of the organization. “No one knows who the real leaders are… that’s very damaging to the brand.”

Analysts point to a fundamental cultural clash. Mr. Nawat’s Miss Grand International thrives on a constant, commercial social media presence, expecting its queens to be live-streaming saleswomen. In contrast, Latin American pageant culture still reveres beauty queens as glamorous television celebrities. This tension was evident in the attempted enforcement of social media mandates that backfired spectacularly.

Furthermore, scholar Thitiphong Duangkhong suggested that Jakrajutatip’s identity as a transwoman may not have sat well with certain segments of the Latin American fanbase, which subscribes to a more traditional “macho” culture. “There’s talk of women who aren’t women suddenly buying a pageant… What’s going to happen?” he said, highlighting the underlying social tensions.

The Show Goes On

Despite the backstage chaos, the show proceeded. The top five were rounded out by first runner-up Praveenar Singh of Thailand—the host country’s fan-favorite delegate—along with contestants from Venezuela, the Philippines, and, in a historic placement, Cote d’Ivoire.

The event itself was not without incident. During the preliminary evening gown competition, Miss Jamaica suffered a fall onstage and had to be stretchered out of the theatre, though she is now recovering in hospital.

The Future of an Iconic Brand

The crowning of Fatima Bosch, the 74th Miss Universe, signals an organization desperate to stay relevant. The pageant is evolving from a once-a-year television spectacle to a media brand fighting for attention on TikTok and Instagram, where former titleholders command millions of followers.

While the controversies highlight the brutal business realities of modern pageantry, the platform’s power for social good remains. The 2018 titleholder, Catriona Gray, used her massive Instagram following to raise aid for typhoon victims in the Philippines, demonstrating the role’s enduring potential.

The pageant also continues to navigate criticism over its objectification of women. In a nod to evolving global sensibilities and cultural differences, contestants from conservative countries were permitted to wear full-body coverings during the swimsuit round.

“For fans and outsiders, it’s very confusing,” said former president Paula Shugart. “But as long as the core values are intact, I think pageants will always have a role to play in society.” She emphasized that empowerment must remain central: “Miss Universe is nothing if you’re not empowering the women that compete.”

In the end, the crown found its way to a contestant who, weeks prior, had been threatened with removal for standing her ground. In a season defined by conflict, Fatima Bosch’s victory serves as a potent reminder of resilience, both for the woman wearing the crown and the global institution she now represents.