A Miss Universe director singled out and criticized one contestant at an event in Thailand, sparking an international controversy after the video went viral.
Ahead 74th Miss Universe Pageantwhich will take place in Bangkok later this month, participants have gathered in Thailand over the past few days. According to the schedule, the delegates arrived on November 2 before the engagement ceremony, which was scheduled for November 5.
As part of the program of events, the contestants attended a performance by Nawat Itzaragrisil, a Thai businessman and national director of the Miss Universe Thailand pageant.
Bye live broadcast At a Facebook event, the Miss Universe Thailand Organization captured a heated exchange between Itzaragrisil and Miss Universe Mexico titleholder Fatima Bosch.
What happened and how did the Miss Universe organization react? Here's everything we know so far.
The dispute between Itzaragrisil and Bosch quickly escalated
Speaking to Miss Universe contestants, Itzaragrisil appeared to single out Bosch for not participating in certain promotional activities for the pageant and its host country. He also criticized the national director of the Mexican Miss Universe organization.
“If you follow orders from your national director, you are stupid,” he said.
He continued to criticize the lack of publications about the host country and the competition before Bosch spoke again.
Bosch, who spoke calmly throughout the conversation, seemed to upset Itzaragrisil when she tried to share her side of the story.
“Not about you,” he said.
“I didn’t give you a chance to talk. Please remain polite. I'm still talking. Listen,” he added, continuing the conversation.
When Itzaragrisil asked why Bosch stood up to talk while he was “talking to everyone,” she replied, “Because I have a voice.”
When Bosch said Itzaragrisil “has no respect for me as a woman,” he became increasingly upset and called for security.
The other women in the room were concerned about the tense interaction and said, “No,” when Itzaragrisil called for security.
Meanwhile, Bosch could be heard saying: “I'm here representing my country, and it's not my fault that you have problems with my organization.”
The other women in the room then stood up to follow Bosch, and Itzaragrisil ordered them to “sit down” if they wanted to continue the contest.
Bosch spoke to reporters after the event
Outside the event, Bosch expressed disappointment in how she was treated. In a video interview shared Miami HeraldShe said Itzaragrisil was “disrespectful.”
“He called me stupid because he has a problem with the organization. And I think that's unfair because I'm here and I'm doing good. I don't mess with anyone. I'm just trying to be kind. I'm trying to do my best and he just shot at me and he just told me and shut up and a lot of different things,” she said.
Bosch explained that she and her fellow contestants are “empowered women” with a powerful “platform.”
“And no one can silence our voice, and no one will do this to me,” she said.
How the Miss Universe Mexico organization reacted
Following the incident, the official Miss Universe Mexico Instagram account expressed support for Bosch.
“Mexican women always rise up. We will always lift our face and soul high because the voice of @fatimaboschfdz carries the voice of women all over the world. Today we speak not only on behalf of Mexico, we speak on behalf of all those who deserve respect, dignity and recognition. Thank you to all the fans, media and content creators who came together to stand up for what is right. Mexico is not silent. Mexico is rising,” the report said.
Miss Universe President released a statement condemning Itzaragrisil's actions
Miss Universe Organization President Raul Rocha responded to the viral moment by filming a video message condemning Itzaragrisil's treatment of Bosch.
“I will not allow the values of respect and dignity towards women to be violated. Unfortunately, Nawat has forgotten the true meaning of what it means to be a true master. This means demonstrating to all delegates from all countries that he, as a host, has the responsibility to serve them, help them and support them, and ensure that they have a unique life experience filled with kindness and courtesy so that they can enjoy and take away the best memories of their lives from Thailand in an atmosphere of healthy and friendly competition,” he said.
Rocha expressed his “great resentment towards Navat” and said he had “humiliated, insulted and disrespected” Bosch.
Rocha said Itzaragrisil has a “constant desire to be in the spotlight” and urged him to change his approach during conversations with members of the Miss Universe organization and others.
“Nawat, you need to stop. Every woman in the world should be respected,” he added.
“I will not allow any of them to be attacked and humiliated because many of them managed to achieve this platform of visibility and voice at a time when they were trying to overcome similar situations,” he said.
Itzaragrisil responded to the dispute
Itzaragrisil responded to the controversy by posting a message on Facebook. Resharing the Miss Universe Organization's post, he added, “We just finished a meeting with MUO from Mexico. Thank you very much for your understanding and support.”
In a statement, Miss Universe said the organization “reaffirms its commitment to working closely with the host community, the Miss Grand International Organization and all local partners to ensure the continued success of the 74th Miss Universe Pageant.” Together, we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of respect, safety and integrity for all participants, employees and stakeholders.”
Itzaragrisil also appears to have apologized. footage from live broadcast on Instagram re-posted by multiple Instagram users. In the video, Itzaragrisil said: “If anyone feels bad, if anyone feels uncomfortable. If anyone (was hurt), I apologize for everyone. But I spoke, I apologized to the other girls in the room, there are already about 75 girls in the room.”
Itzaragrisil also expressed disappointment that there was no one with “authority” at Miss Universe Thailand and said he was meeting with the Miss Universe organization to discuss the situation.
