Two of eight Miss Universe judges have abruptly resigned just days before a winner is to be crowned, with one alleging the contest is rigged. Lebanese-French musician Omar Harfouch announced on Instagram that he was quitting the panel, claiming an "impromptu jury" made up of people with personal relationships with contestants had already chosen 30 finalists out of 136 participants—without the official judges' knowledge or involvement, per the BBC. He said he learned of the alleged pre-selection via social media.
Hours later, French football manager Claude Makélélé also stepped down, citing "unforeseen personal reasons," though he offered praise for the pageant, saying it "represents empowerment, diversity, and excellence—values I have always championed throughout my career." The resignations come shortly after contestants walked out of a pre-pageant event after a Thai official berated Miss Mexico for failing to post promotional content online. The incident prompted the Miss Universe Organization to send international executives to oversee the competition.
Harfouch said he resigned after discussing the "lack of transparency in the Miss Universe voting process" with the president and co-owner of the Miss Universe Organization, Raul Rocha Cantu, per the New York Times. The organization denied Harfouch's claims, insisting no outside group has been authorized to pick finalists. Officials suggested Harfouch may have confused the main contest with a separate initiative, Beyond the Crown, whose own independent committee was announced Monday. The organization said his allegations had "mischaracterized" that program.
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