The atmosphere in Thailand remains tense as the Miss Universe 2025 pageant approaches its final stretch. Following an incident in which Nawat Itsaragrisil, the local director of Miss Universe Thailand, publicly attacked Mexico’s contestant, Fátima Bosch, tensions between both national franchises have continued to escalate. Local media now report that Jorge Figueroa, director of Miss Universe Mexico, was arrested after Nawat filed a complaint with local authorities.
According to Thai press reports, Itsaragrisil took legal action to expose a company involved in commercial agreements with Miss Universe. The police responded to his complaint, arresting several individuals, including Figueroa. The core of the issue stems from Thailand’s strict ban on gambling and one of this year’s pageant sponsors is reportedly an online casino.
A few days earlier, George had already acknowledged his disagreements with Nawat in an interview on the show De Primera Mano. “It’s really with Miss Universe Thailand, with the management, directly with Mr. Nawat. We have both cultural and professional differences,” he said.
He continued, “I believe the guiding principle should always be respect. He definitely doesn’t have it, he doesn’t know respect, and he hasn’t respected the movement that Fátima Bosch represents. We don’t share the same values, and that’s where the differences began. But feeling supported by the main Miss Universe Organization, that’s what matters most to us.”
At the time, he did not mention any legal conflict but did reveal that he had left the hotel where he was staying. That statement aligns with what the Thai businessman told Fátima during the controversial onstage incident, when he claimed that her national director had been “removed from the country by the police.”
The conflict between the two directors became so severe that it likely triggered last week’s uncomfortable public confrontation between Fátima and Nawat. The incident was later confirmed by actress and former Miss Universe Mexico director Martha Cristiana, who also commented on George’s arrest and that of several makeup artists. “That’s right,” she said when asked by journalist Miguel Masjuan about her successor’s reported detention.
Martha Cristiana’s Allegations
In her interview, the actress shared that during her tenure with the organization, she witnessed several irregularities involving Figueroa that ultimately led her to resign. “I realized things weren’t going to work. There were too many conflicts. There was one person I called, at the time, ‘the rotten apple.’ He was creating problems with many young women who wanted to join the project and were not being treated well, they were being disrespected. That person is Jorge Figueroa,” she stated.
So far, neither the Miss Universe Organization nor the Mexican franchise has issued an official comment regarding the arrest. Local reports indicate that Figueroa and the detained makeup artists have since been released.
Still, tensions between the organizations remain high, just days before the final ceremony where the successor to Victoria Kjær Theilvig will be crowned.