Three days before the Miss Universe stage lit up Bangkok, the glittering calm was interrupted by a storm with a particular name: Omar Harfouch. The Lebanese composer, philanthropist, and newly announced judge for Miss Universe 2025 decided to step off the judging panel and step directly into global controversy.
What started as a puzzled observation about an unfamiliar selection process quickly escalated into one of the loudest allegations in modern pageant history. Harfouch first shared a message filled with what he described as confusion and concern. He said he learned from social media that an impromptu jury had allegedly gathered to choose 30 semifinalists out of 120 contestants.
According to him, none of the eight official judges were part of that meeting. The word secret slipped in, with Harfouch claiming the results of that selection were not revealed to the official panel. He didn’t stop there. The second Story raised the stakes further.
Harfouch alleged that this unofficial group included individuals with potential conflicts of interest, noting that the person responsible for tallying votes and managing results could also be linked to contestants.
After privately approaching pageant officials, Harfouch said the organization responded by posting a carousel introducing members of the Beyond the Crown Selection Committee. Instead of clearing the fog, he felt it thickened. He pointed out that the organization did not specify the roles of these individuals and that the response only heightened his confusion.
The Breaking Point Between Harfouch and Raúl Rocha
That leads to the final Story. Harfouch wrote that he had a tense and disrespectful conversation with Raúl Rocha, the new Miss Universe owner, regarding the judging process. His conclusion was blunt. He said he refused to participate in what he called a charade. He also added that he would not perform the music he composed for the event.
Then came the explosion. Harfouch claimed on HBO that he already knew Miss Mexico would win 24 hours before the final because Rocha allegedly pressured him to vote for her. He said Rocha and his son met with him in Dubai and told him that supporting Fátima Bosch would be good for their business.
"Miss Mexico is a Fake winner. I Omar Harfouch declared yesterday exclusively on the American HBO, 24 hours before the Miss Universe final, that Miss Mexico would win—because Miss Universe owner Raúl Rocha is in business with Fatima Bosch’s father," he wrote. "All details will be showed in May 2026 on HBO. Raul Rocha and his son urged me, week ago in Dubai, to vote for Fatima Bosh because they need her to win, because it will be good for our business, they said to me!"
Harfouch also shared a photo of Miss Mexico with Rocha, adding fuel to the wildfire his statements ignited online. He promised more details to be revealed in a documentary slated for May 2026.
The Miss Universe Organization Responds
On November 18, MUO publicly pushed back, saying Harfouch’s assertions were incorrect. The statement emphasized that no outside jury existed, no unauthorized group evaluated contestants, and all assessments followed what MUO described as transparent and supervised protocols. According to them, the chaos existed only in Harfouch’s portrayal, not in their procedures.
“The Miss Universe Organization firmly clarifies that no impromptu jury has been created, that no external group has been authorized to evaluate delegates or select finalists, and that all competition evaluations continue to follow the established, transparent, and supervised MUO protocols,” they said.
Meanwhile, Fátima Bosch Became Miss Universe 2025
With all the noise swirling outside the arena, the show inside continued. Miss Mexico Fátima Bosch took the crown on November 20 during a high–energy final night at Impact Challenger Hall in Thailand. She was welcomed into the Miss Universe family by Miss Denmark Victoria Kjær Theilvig, marking a celebratory moment that arrived wrapped in controversy.
Bosch stood triumphant after competing against 120 delegates, ending a whirlwind edition of the pageant that will be remembered for more than the iconic final walk. Whether Harfouch’s claims evolve into something larger or fade as pageant history moves on remains part of the story still unfolding.