Miss Universe judge resigns ahead of pageant…
Miss Universe judge Omar Harfouch has abruptly resigned from the pageant’s official jury just days before this 12 months’s competitors is set to kick off on Nov. 21.
Harfouch took to his Instagram Stories on Tuesday to declare that the Top 30 finalists had been chosen in secret long before the judges ever forged a vote.
His exit has sparked a wave of confusion and frustration among contestants, many of whom say they realized about the alleged pre-selection online somewhat than from the Miss Universe Organization itself.
Omar Harfouch poses in Paris, France, on Jan. 22, 2025. Corbis via Getty Images
Omar Harfouch during the 78th annual Cannes Film Festival on May 13, 2025. Getty Images
Harfouch claimed he found that an “impromptu jury” had already chosen which contestants would transfer ahead out of the 136 ladies competing.
According to him, some people within this unauthorized group had personal ties to taking part contestants – including people accountable for counting votes and handling outcomes.
He argued that such connections created an simple battle of curiosity.
Omar Harfouch and Kevin Costner during the 81st Venice International Film Festival on Sept. 5, 2024, in Venice, Italy. Getty Images
Harfouch also claimed that the existence of this alleged secret jury got here to his consideration through social media somewhat than any inside Miss Universe communication.
“The results of this selection are currently being kept secret,” he wrote.
When Harfouch pushed for solutions, he said the group responded by posting a record of names concerned in the method without explaining what those people truly did.
Omar Harfouch and Yulia Lobova at the 78th annual Cannes Film Festival on May 13, 2025. Corbis via Getty Images
He described the transfer as an attempt to quiet criticism without offering any significant clarification and, after what he described as a tense exchange with Miss Universe management, finally stepped away from the panel.
“After having a disrespectful conversation with [Miss Universe CEO] Raul Rocha about the lack of transparency in the Miss Universe voting process, I decided to resign from the jury and refuse to be part of this charade,” Harfouch announced.
Harfouch also announced that he was withdrawing the musical efficiency he had ready for the competitors.
Omar Harfouch attends the “Diner De La Paix” (Iftar of The Peace 2025) hosted by CiteStars at Hotel Le Collectioneur on March 06, 2025 in Paris, France. WireImage
The Miss Universe Organization, meanwhile, rapidly rejected his allegations and insisted that its procedures stay legit and tightly managed.
“The Miss Universe Organization firmly clarifies that no impromptu jury has been created, that no external group has been authorized to evaluate delegates or select finalists, and that all competition evaluations continue to follow the established, transparent, and supervised MUO protocols,” the group said in a assertion.
“Given [Mr. Harfouch’s] expressed confusion, his public mischaracterization of the program, and his stated desire not to participate, the Miss Universe Organization respectfully acknowledges his withdrawal from the official judging panel,” the pageant added.
This wouldn’t be the first controversy to unfold just days before this 12 months’s Miss Universe pageant kicks off on Nov. 21.
Miss Universe exec Nawat Itsaragrisil was dismissed from the pageant earlier this month following a tense confrontation with Miss Mexico that resulted in a number of contestants strolling out of a pre-pageant event.
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