The Miss Universe pageant, held in Bangkok, is concluding amidst allegations of pre-selecting contestants. A judge accused the organization of a secret vote to choose the top 30, prompting legal consideration and denials from organizers. The competition also faced criticism regarding its objectification of women, though some progress has been made under new ownership.
Organizers of the beauty pageant, which is wrapping up in Bangkok, denied allegations by one of the judges that the top 30 contestants had been preselected in a “secret vote.”international beauty pageant, with one making accusations of rigging and mulling a lawsuit as the annual competition nears its end in Bangkok.
on Tuesday that there had been a “secret vote” by people not on the official jury to preselect the top 30 contestants out of 136.On Wednesday, Harfouch said he was considering filing a lawsuit against the Miss Universe Organization that runs the competition, citing emotional trauma and reputational damage.that there was no impromptu jury and that all competition evaluations continued to follow the organization’s “established, transparent, and supervised” protocols. It said the group of people Harfouch was referring to was the official selection committee for a separate social impact initiative.Nadeen Ayoub will be first model to represent Palestine at Miss Universe pageantafter Nawat Itsaragrisil, a Thai businessman who is co-owner of the Miss Universe Organization, chided Miss Mexico, Fátima Bosch, for not taking part in promotional activities. Nawat later apologized and was admonished by his fellow owner, Raul Rocha Cantú, who said he would not let contestants be “humiliated.”Founded in 1952 by a California swimwear brand, Miss Universe quickly became a lucrative business, passing through the ownership of mostly male executives, including PresidentOver the years, Miss Universe has suffered from slumping viewership as criticism rose over its objectification of women. While the competition has made modest strides under Jakrajutatip’s ownership, such as allowing married women and mothers to compete,
Miss Universe Pageant Rigging Allegations Controversy
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