The Miss Universe pageant was already in turmoil after two judges resigned, one over allegations that the competition had been rigged and another for “unforeseen personal reasons.” The chaos intensified when Jamaican contestant, Gabrielle Henry, fell off the stage during the preliminary evening gown round.
Henry was seen walking across the stage in an orange sequined dress, looking at the crowd before falling off the main stage during the 2025 competition in Thailand.
The Miss Universe Jamaica organization said Henry was rushed to Paolo Rangsit Hospital where medical professionals attended to her. The organization said she had no life-threatening injuries after the fall.
“I was there with her family and her, and thankfully there are no broken bones and she is being well cared for. She will remain under observation for the rest of the night and we will keep in touch with her family to support her,” Miss Universe pageant chairman Raul Rocha wrote on Instagram, saying he had visited Henry in hospital. “Our prayers go out for her speedy recovery.”
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Miss Universe Jamaica, Gabrielle Henry, presents her evening gown during the 74th Miss Universe Preliminary competition on November 19, 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand. (Mohan Raj/Getty)
Omar Harfouch, a Lebanese-French composer and businessman, resigned from the eight-member jury earlier this week, claiming a “secret ballot” had been held to pre-select 30 participants out of 136.
“This voting was carried out by persons who are not official judges, including myself. To this day, no one knows who the selected thirty are, except one person who holds the results,” Harfouch said.
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“I could not stand in front of the public and the television cameras and pretend to legitimize a vote in which I never participated. Some of the countries eliminated by this process may be at war, discriminated against, or geopolitically sensitive. Viewers would assume that the jury made these decisions, and I cannot bear responsibility for a process in which I did not participate. To pretend otherwise would be dishonest.”
Pianist, composer and businessman Omar Harfouch poses during a portrait session on March 15, 2024 in Paris, France. (Eric Fougere/Corbis via Getty Images)
The Miss Universe Organization (MUO) rejected Harfouch’s allegations Tuesday in an Instagram post, saying all judging procedures for the 74th Miss Universe competition remain “official, transparent and fully governed by MUO protocols.”
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It added that no makeshift jury has been set up and no outside group is authorized to judge delegates or select finalists.
A second judge, former French footballer Claude Makélélé, said he would not attend the event “due to unforeseen personal reasons.”
Claude Makelele attends the UEFA Champions League match between Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid CF at Parc des Princes on October 21, 2015 in Paris. (Xavier Laine/Real Madrid via Getty Images)
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“This was a difficult decision because I hold Miss Universe in high regard. The platform stands for empowerment, diversity and excellence; values that I have always defended throughout my career,” Makélélé wrote on his Instagram account. “I sincerely apologize to the organization, the participants and everyone involved and I hope to be able to contribute under better circumstances in the future.”
The last day of the Miss Universe competition is November 21.
