Overview
- The Miss Universe Organization said it accepted Omar Harfouch’s withdrawal, denied that any unauthorized jury selected finalists, and barred him from using the pageant’s trademarks.
- Harfouch alleged an impromptu group pre-selected the Top 30 with potential conflicts of interest, including personal ties to contestants and links to vote counting, and said he would withhold his planned musical performance.
- An anonymous contestant told People that many participants learned of a purported preliminary Top 30 via social media rather than official channels and called the situation heartbreaking.
- A second judge, former footballer Claude Makélélé, announced he would not attend, citing unforeseen personal reasons.
- Harfouch said he consulted a New York law firm about potential legal action, while MUO described its publicized Beyond the Crown committee as separate from competition judging and the Nov. 21 Thailand final remains scheduled at Impact Challenger Hall.