BANGKOK — Fatima Bosch Fernandez from Mexico was crowned. Miss Universe 2025 Friday saw a dramatic victory for the 25-year-old at the center of the tumultuous 74th edition of the popular beauty pageant in Bangkok, who endured public bullying from one of the presenters.
The first runner-up was 29-year-old Pravinar Singh from Thailand, and 25-year-old Stephanie Adriana Abasali Nasser from Venezuela took third place.
Rounding out the finishers were Ahtisa Manalo, 28, from the Philippines, and Olivia Yase, 27, from Ivory Coast, in fifth place.
The bad atmosphere at this year's event stemmed from a sharp rebuke from Mexican attendee Bosch, which sparked controversy marked by a walkout, feminist solidarity and a tearful, melodramatic apology from the local organizer who started it all.
At the awards ceremony for virtually all 130 participants, which was broadcast live on November 4, Thailand's national director Nawat Itzaragrisil criticized Bosch for allegedly not following his guidelines for participating in local promotional events. He called security when she spoke to defend herself.
Bosch left the room and was joined by several others in solidarity, including Miss Universe 2024, Victoria Kjaer Theilvig from Denmark.
“What your director did was disrespectful: he called me stupid,” a defiant Bosch told Thai reporters. “If it degrades your dignity, you need to go.”
The president of the Miss Universe Organization, Mexican businessman Raul Rocha Cantu, issued a statement condemning Navat's behavior as “public aggression” and “serious abuse.”
Even the first female president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaumpounced, telling a news conference in her nation's capital that she wanted to give “recognition” to Miss Mexico for expressing her opposition in a “dignified” way.
“I think this is an example of how women should raise their voices,” Sheinbaum said.
Sheinbaum remembers how she used to be told a common phrase: “Women look more beautiful when they are silent.”
“We women look more beautiful when we raise our voices and participate because it comes with recognition of our rights,” she said.
Nawat later apologized for his actions, appearing both tearful and defiant.
“If anyone (was) affected and felt uncomfortable by this happening, I'm very sorry,” he told the crowd. Then he turned to them and said, “It's all over. Okay? Are you happy?”
Miss Universe Bosch's official biography states that she studied fashion in Mexico and Italy and focused on creating eco-friendly designs and working with discarded materials. It says she volunteered with sick children, promoted environmental awareness and worked on support for migrants and mental health issues.
This year's competition also reported that two judges had resigned, with one of them suggesting there was an element of rigging in the competition. The charge was dismissed. Separately, Thai police were investigating alleged illegal advertising of online casinos as part of the event's promotion – a turn of events that may have been linked to a feud among the organizers.
Failures and disputes are not uncommon for the competition. 2021 event drew criticism because it was held in Israel, to the consternation of supporters of the Palestinian cause.
An example of a minor mistake – literally – occurred on Wednesday when Miss Universe Jamaica Gabrielle Henry fell off the stage during the evening gown competition. She wasn't badly hurt.
