The Miss Universe Drama Never Ends
It’s been less than a week since Miss Universe crowned a winner, and somehow the drama surrounding the pageant continues. On Wednesday, an arrest warrant was issued in Bangkok for Jakapong “Anne” Jakrajutatip, whose company JKN Global Group co-owns the organization. According to the Independent, Jakrajutatip was charged with fraud and released on bail in 2023 but failed to appear in court on Tuesday.
Apparently, Jakrajutatip tried to persuade a plastic surgeon to invest in her company in 2023 (the same one that currently co-owns Miss Universe). A court statement obtained by France 24 says that “the defendant invited (the plaintiff) to invest knowing her inability to return the money within the appointed time,” and the surgeon is now saying he’s owed $390,000. Per the Independent, Jakrajutatip resigned from her positions at the company in June. While she did not attend the Miss Universe competition in Bangkok and her whereabouts are unknown, she remains the organization’s largest shareholder.
Even before the arrest warrant was made public, the competition was plagued by rigging allegations, which appeared to be a factor in two competitors renouncing their titles following the final. On Sunday, Brigitta Schaback, who represented Estonia at Miss Universe, announced that she was stepping down from her title. “My values and work ethics do not align with those of the National Director, Natalie Korneitsik,” she wrote on Instagram. “My commitment is to women’s empowerment and equality, and I will continue this work independently, without any further association with Miss Universe Estonia.”
The very next day, Olivia Yacé, who was the pageant’s fourth runner-up as Miss African and Oceania, also resigned. “As the representative of Côte d’Ivoire at the Miss Universe 2025 competition in Bangkok, I witnessed firsthand that I was capable of accomplishing great things despite adversity,” she wrote on Instagram. “But 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 added that she was also removing herself from “any future affiliation with the Miss Universe Committee.”
The pageant, formerly owned by Donald Trump, has been rife with mishaps this year. Before she was crowned the winner, Miss Mexico (Fátima Bosch Fernández) ignited a walkout from the pageant after being berated by a Thai pageant executive. Shortly before the finals, Miss Jamaica (Gabrielle Henry) took a nasty fall that ended up with her in the ICU.
Meanwhile, two judges resigned in the lead-up to the ceremony with one alleging that the pageant was rigged with a secret biased jury. The organization denied the judge’s claims, but the women who’ve resigned do seem to be making vague allusions to something amiss — and now, at least one woman involved in the competition is now wanted for fraud. Will someone get to the bottom of this?
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