The Miss Universe 2025 competition has been rocked by another major controversy as one of its official judges abruptly resigned just three days before the final event, making serious allegations about the selection process.
Judge's Shocking Resignation
On Tuesday, November 19, 2025, Omar Harfouch announced his withdrawal from the Miss Universe judging panel through his Instagram stories. The judge expressed what he called his "profound confusion and concern" after discovering that the 30 finalists had been selected by what he described as an "impromptu jury" without the involvement of any of the eight official judges.
Harfouch revealed that he learned about this development through social media, noting that the unofficial jury had chosen the 30 finalists from among the 136 participating countries. He emphasized that the results of this selection were being kept secret from the official judging panel.
Conflict of Interest Allegations
The former judge raised serious concerns about potential conflicts of interest within the unofficial selection committee. According to Harfouch, the impromptu jury included individuals with personal relationships with some of the Miss Universe contestants.
He specifically highlighted that the person responsible for counting votes and managing results was also part of this unofficial committee, creating what he called "a further conflict of interest." Harfouch confirmed that he had communicated his disapproval to the Miss Universe committee about the preliminary selection being conducted without the presence of any official judges.
Organization's Response and Legal Threats
The Miss Universe Organization responded quickly to Harfouch's allegations with an official statement posted on Instagram. The organization stated it needed to "clarify certain inaccuracies" regarding the Beyond the Crown Program and the official judging processes.
In their statement, the organization explained that the Beyond the Crown Program is an independent social impact initiative designed to promote leadership, service, education, health, inclusion and charitable causes. They emphasized that this program operates entirely separately from the Miss Universe competition and the official judging panel.
The organization took a strong stance against Harfouch, threatening to take legal action if he continued to associate himself with the pageant following his resignation.
Ongoing Pageant Turmoil
This controversy marks the latest in a series of dramatic events surrounding the 74th Miss Universe competition. Earlier in November, participants staged a mass walkout from an event in Bangkok following what was described as a disrespectful exchange between an organizer and Miss Mexico Fatima Bosch.
The walkout occurred after executive Nawat Itsaragrisil reportedly criticized Bosch for showing "no respect" and insulted her intelligence during a pre-pageant event. Contestants showed solidarity with the Mexican representative by leaving the event together.
The Miss Universe competition is currently taking place in Nonthaburi province, Thailand, with the final event scheduled for later this week. The organization now faces the challenge of managing both the judging controversy and maintaining the competition's credibility amid growing scrutiny.
