Why Are People Asking Miss Universe Fátima Bosch to Resign? Here’s What We Know
People crowned her Miss Universe. Now, some people want her gone.
In a matter of weeks, Mexico’s Fátima Bosch went from “viral queen who walked out in protest” to the official Miss Universe 2025 and now to the center of a storm of fraud claims, resignations, and calls for her to step down.
So why are people asking her to resign, and what do we actually know so far?
Why are people asking Miss Universe winner Fátima Bosch to resign?
The loudest call for Fátima Bosch’s resignation comes from one person who sat very close to the power structure of Miss Universe.
French-Lebanese pianist and media owner Omar Harfouch, who joined the official Miss Universe jury and then quit days before the preliminaries, has launched a public campaign against this year’s results. According to El Universo, Harfouch returned to social media after the final and called for “urgent measures,” starting with “the immediate resignation of Miss Mexico,” referring to Fátima Bosch, who won the crown in Bangkok.
Harfouch claims there are financial and political links between Bosch’s family and the Miss Universe leadership. He also wants the removal of Miss Universe president Raúl Rocha and a full investigation into negotiations between the organization and the Puerto Rico franchise.
Harfouch says he told HBO cameras twenty-four hours before the final that Miss Mexico would win “because the owner, Raúl Rocha, is in business with the father of Fátima Bosch,” and that Rocha and his son urged him a week earlier in Dubai to vote for her because “it would be good for business.” He promises that “all the details” will air in May 2026 in a special on the network.
The Miss Universe Organization has denied his accusations and says all evaluations follow its “transparent and supervised” protocols. For her part, Bosch has not addressed Harfouch’s fraud claims directly.
Inside the Miss Universe fraud allegations and a “fake winner” claim
Harfouch did not just ask for her resignation. He also framed her entire win as illegitimate.
After Bosch received the crown, he posted an Instagram story that read “Miss Mexico is a fake winner” and then doubled down. “Miss Mexico is a false winner, and I will tell you why,” he wrote. He repeated that he had already predicted her win “because Miss Universe owner Raúl Rocha is in business with Fatima Bosch’s father.”
People reports that Harfouch also told the outlet that Bosch’s family tried to sway his vote and that they told him, “For our business, [it] is very important to secure that she will win.”
Harfouch says an “impromptu jury” chose 30 finalists in the absence of the eight official judges and without transparency. Miss Universe has rejected that version and insists that “no external group has been authorized to evaluate delegates or select finalists,” according to The Independent.
So far, none of these claims has come with public documentary proof. The Miss Universe Organization has continued with Bosch’s reign and has not announced any internal changes in response to Harfouch’s demands.
Miss Universe faces resignations from Costa d’Ivoire and Estonia
The controversy does not stop with one judge. It now includes women who shared the stage with Bosch.
Miss Costa d’Ivoire, Olivia Yacé, placed fifth and received the title of Miss Universe Africa and Oceania. Days later, she walked away from it. “With a heart full of gratitude and profound respect, I hereby announce my resignation from the title of Miss Universe Africa and Oceania, as well as from any future affiliation with the Miss Universe Committee,” she wrote on Instagram.
Yacé explained her decision in terms of ethics. “To continue on this path, I must remain true to my values: respect, dignity, excellence, and equal opportunity, the strongest pillars that guide me,” she said. She added that she wants to serve as “a model for the new generation, especially for young girls,” and must “remain faithful to [her] values” to do that.
Many outlets note that her resignation has become linked online to the result that crowned Fátima Bosch.
Miss Estonia Brigitta Schaback also renounced her title. She said “too many scandals” surrounded Miss Universe this year and that she felt pressured to help defend the organization “in the public eye.” “For this reason, I have decided to resign my title,” she said.
The Miss Estonia organization told People that its national director supported her participation and accused Schaback of making “inappropriate” comments that went against professional protocol.
Other contestants say Miss Universe felt “messy” and “preselected”
The wave of criticism includes women from countries that did not reach the top five.
Norway’s representative, Leonora Lysglimt Rødland, went on Instagram Live and said the top ten had already been decided fifteen days before the final, according to El Universal. “We all felt very disappointed when we found out. It was like: ‘What is the point of competing if the Miss Universe organization has already made a decision?’” she said.
Miss Ireland Aadya Srivastava, who entered her first pageant at nineteen, told People that she saw “very, very little drama amongst the girls” but felt the “administrative side” wanted to generate scandal for media attention. “I think it was just a media thing overall,” she said. “I see it as a way to gain views, to gain media attention, which is what they got eventually.”
She also called the season “messy” and said she would not compete at Miss Universe again, though she wants to continue in pageantry with other organizations.
These testimonies add to older complaints. In December 2024, former Miss Universe Argentina Magalí Benejam said in a YouTube interview that the contest “always” felt rigged and that she saw judges react with surprise when a top five appeared that did not match their choices, according to La Nación. The organization later removed her distinction.
How scandal has shaped this year’s Miss Universe narrative
This season did not start with the crown. It began with an on-camera confrontation.
On November 4, Miss Universe executive Nawat Itsaragrisil scolded Bosch during a livestream and allegedly called her “stupid” or a “dummy” for not posting enough promotional content about Thailand. When she pushed back, he called security.
Bosch stood up and told him, “Because I have a voice. You are not respecting me as a woman.” Several contestants, including reigning Miss Universe Victoria Kjær Theilvig, walked out in solidarity. The clip went viral.
Nawat later apologized, saying he felt sorry for “anyone [who] feels bad, uncomfortable, or affected,” but the damage was done. Miss Universe president Raúl Rocha announced sanctions that barred Nawat from participating in the pageant’s events.
The chaos did not end there. The Independent reports that former Miss Universe Alicia Machado faced racism accusations after she referred to Nawat as Chinese and made offensive gestures about Asian people on a livestream. Miss Jamaica Gabrielle Henry fell during the competition and now remains in an intensive care unit for at least seven days.
In that context, Bosch’s eventual win looked bigger than a standard crowning moment. She told the audience, “As a woman and as Miss Universe, I will put my voice and the power in the service of others because nowadays we are here to speak up, to make change and have everything in view because we are women and the brave ones that stand up are the ones that will make history.”
What Fátima Bosch has said about her Miss Universe win and the backlash
While people like Harfouch accuse her and contestants resign around her, Fátima Bosch has focused on faith and purpose.
In her first Instagram statement after the final, she wrote in Spanish, “Today I reaffirmed that what God has destined for you, neither envy stops it, nor destiny aborts it, nor luck changes it. Long live Christ the King.”
Miss Universe shared portraits of Bosch and called her “officially” their Miss Universe 2025. The account added in English, “Because every step you take leads to something greater, and fighting for your dreams while believing in yourself will always be worth it,” USA Today reports.
Bosch has not publicly engaged with the fraud allegations. People reports that she framed her journey as the result of faith and perseverance and has kept her messaging focused on her platform as Miss Universe.
Right now, the calls for her resignation sit in a strange limbo. Meanwhile, Bosch keeps the crown, and the Miss Universe Organization stands by its protocols.
