Overview
- Lebanese‑French musician Omar Harfouch resigned on Nov. 18, three days before the Nov. 21 pageant in Bangkok.
- He claims an off‑book group preselected the Top 30 without the eight official judges and alleges conflicts of interest, later citing an alleged affair.
- The Miss Universe Organization denied any impromptu jury and said judging follows established, supervised MUO protocols.
- Following his withdrawal, MUO prohibited Harfouch from using or associating with its trademarks, logos, and materials.
- An anonymous contestant said many learned of the alleged preselection via social media and described heartbreak, while MUO’s recent ‘Beyond the Crown’ committee post was characterized by the organization as separate from official judging and the event remains scheduled.