A peculiar situation has arisen regarding this year’s Miss Universe pageant. There is talk of excluding six contestants from Southeast Asia from the competition. A rift stemming from franchise issues has split the parties involved. The parent organization has declared the six contestants from these nations ineligible. Conversely, the Thailand-based entity responsible for these countries has termed the declaration unjust and rejected it. They intend to send the contestants to the main event regardless of the announcement, and preparations to that end are already underway.
Miss Thailand has already been selected, while Malaysia and Indonesia are set to choose their representatives next month. Such a scenario could lead to a chaotic situation regarding the pageant. This report comes from The Independent (online).
The report states that six Southeast Asian contestants are facing exclusion from this year’s Miss Universe pageant due to a dispute between two ownership groups. The 75th edition of the Miss Universe pageant is scheduled to take place in Puerto Rico this November. JKN Universe LLC, the owner of the Miss Universe brand, announced on September 18 that contestants from Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia, and Singapore would not be permitted to participate this year.
In a statement, they noted that “Miss Universe Eastern Private Limited”—managed by Thai businessman Nawat Itsaragrisil—does not possess the right to transfer or assign Miss Universe brand rights to others. The statement further asserted that the franchise agreements involving these six countries were made without a valid license from JKN Universe; thus, the arrangements were unauthorized from the outset and are considered void. MU East, the entity responsible for the pageant’s eastern region, has rejected this announcement.
They stated that they had neither “reviewed nor approved” the statement and that it does not represent the agreed-upon position of the two Miss Universe owners. MU East asserts its statutory right to send six selected contestants and authorized representatives from Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia, and Singapore to the competition. The participation of these contestants should not be blocked, delayed, or jeopardized due to a disagreement between the two parties. They have also rejected JKN Universe’s attempt to declare the franchise agreement invalid. MU East maintains that the agreement, executed under its regional rights, remains valid and cannot be annulled through a unilateral public statement. Consequently, the contestants find themselves in an unusual predicament; one faction of the organizing body claims that contestants from these six countries cannot compete.
Conversely, the other side insists that their rights regarding the national-level franchise remain secure. Notably, Itsaragrisil was appointed CEO of MU East on July 31, assuming responsibility for representatives from 95 countries. He stated that he would collaborate with national directors, representatives, and commercial partners across the region. During a press conference on September 18, he expressed his support for the six contestants in question.
He further announced that, despite JKN Universe’s declaration, the contestants would travel to Puerto Rico, although he himself would not attend. Among the six affected nations, only Thailand has already selected its representative; Tharina Botes was chosen as Miss Universe Thailand in August. Malaysia and Vietnam are expected to select their contestants next month. Last year, the competition took place in Bangkok, where several contestants walked out of a pre-pageant event following the public reprimand of Miss Mexico, Fatima Bosch, by Itsaragrisil. He had publicly scolded Bosch regarding her participation in promotional activities; during the heated exchange, Itsaragrisil called her “stupid” and ordered security personnel to remove her from the venue. Following this incident, several contestants—including the then-reigning Miss Universe, Victoria Kjær Theilvig of Denmark—walked out of the event in support of Bosch.
Later, Miss Universe President Raul Rocha condemned Itzarragrisil’s behavior and stated that her involvement in the 2025 competition would be “limited.” Itzarragrisil subsequently apologized. Speaking in Thai, she said, “If anyone did not feel good, felt uncomfortable, or was hurt by this, I apologize to everyone. I have already spoken to and apologized to the other women in the room; there were about 75 of them.”
