Miss Universe judge considers legal action after resignation and misconduct claims

Omar Harfouch says he is pursuing legal action after alleging misconduct in the Miss Universe 2025 process

Omar Harfouch, who resigned from the Miss Universe 2025 judging panel days before the event, says he is now moving forward with potential legal action against the Miss Universe Organisation following a series of misconduct allegations.

Harfouch announced his resignation on November 18, sharing posts on social media in which he alleged that an “impromptu jury” had been formed to select 30 finalists before competitors took part in the preliminary round.

Contestants from 136 countries appeared at the event. The Miss Universe Organisation denied his claims in a statement on its official Instagram account, stating that “no impromptu jury has been created” and that evaluations follow “established, transparent, and supervised MUO protocols.”

In a statement posted November 19, Harfouch wrote that he had consulted a New York law firm regarding the “potential filing of a formal complaint before the Office of the Attorney General,” citing matters under review, including “fraud, abuse of power, corruption, deception, breach of contract, conflict of interest, and emotional and reputational damages.”

Speaking to PEOPLE after the pageant, Harfouch said his team “were waiting to see if Miss Mexico won before we started to pursue legal action, and she did win.”

He added that his aim is “to bring justice to contestants, especially the 106 countries who were kicked out three days before the show by a mysterious ‘entity’.”

Miss Mexico Fátima Bosch won the Miss Universe 2025 title in Bangkok, Thailand. Harfouch said he had predicted Bosch’s victory during an interview the previous day, claiming that owner Raúl Rocha had attempted to pressure him to vote for her due to alleged business ties with her father. Representatives for Rocha, HBO, the Miss Universe Organisation and Bosch have not commented.

A contestant who requested anonymity told PEOPLE that rumours of a pre-selected top 30 were “heartbreaking” and said many participants learned of the allegations through social media. The contestant thanked Harfouch “for standing up for integrity when the organisation would not.”