A crisis erupted at the Miss Universe beauty pageant when Nawat Itsaragrisil, the director from the host country Thailand, harshly confronted Miss Mexico, Fatima Bosch, turning the venue into a veritable battlefield. In response to the incident, some contestants stormed out of the hall, and when the footage went viral on social media, Nawat Itsaragrisil was compelled to apologize.
Here are the details.
However, a major crisis erupted just before the finals. During the preliminary ceremony, an incident occurred between Miss Universe Thailand Director Nawat Itsaragrisil and Mexican beauty Fatima Bosch. The cause of the dispute was Bosch's refusal to share promotional content.
Tensions escalated when Itsaragrisil publicly reprimanded the Mexican contestant. In response to Bosch's protest, Itsaragrisil took it a step further by calling security and threatening that those who supported her would be disqualified. The situation quickly spiraled out of control, with many contestants, along with Bosch, leaving the venue in protest.
Nawat Itsaragrisil, however, refuted the claim of being heated, stating that his words were misconstrued. He contended that what he intended to convey was that Bosch had 'caused a harm'.
Subsequently, MUO President Raul Rocha made a statement. He pointed out that Itsaragrisil had 'forgotten the true meaning of being a host,' adding, 'He belittled Miss Mexico, insulted her, and showed disrespect. Furthermore, he committed a serious abuse by calling security to intimidate a defenseless woman.'
In his apology video shared on social media, he expressed, 'I apologize to anyone who felt bad, uncomfortable, or affected. I particularly conveyed my apologies to approximately 75 girls who were present there.' The Miss Universe Organization (MUO) also condemned Nawat's behavior. This crisis on the Miss Universe stage once again exposed the tensions behind the scenes of beauty pageants. Meanwhile, the winner of the competition will be announced on November 21st.