- - Resigned Miss Universe Judge Considering Legal Action to 'Bring Justice to Contestants' amid Claims of Misconduct (Exclusive)

Zoey LyttleNovember 22, 2025 at 4:04 AM

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Daniel Topic; Mohan Raj/Getty

Omar Harfouch is examining the possibility of filing a formal complaint against the Miss Universe Organization after he publicly resigned from the pageant's judging panel

Days before the international competition, Harfouch alleged that the top 30 were already pre-selected by an "impromptu jury" before the preliminary round; the Miss Universe Organization denied these claims

Following Fátima Bosch's Miss Universe win on Nov. 21, Harfouch tells PEOPLE that he is pursuing a legal action to "bring justice to contestants" affected by alleged misconduct

Omar Harfouch is considering taking legal action against the Miss Universe Organization after his bombshell resignation from the judging panel days before the pageant took place.

On Tuesday, Nov. 18, the musician publicly dropped out of the pageant selection committee and posted multiple allegations on social media. Harfouch claimed that the organization formed an "impromptu jury" to choose 30 finalists before participants from 136 countries even took the stage for the preliminary round.

The Miss Universe Organization denied Harfouch's allegations in a statement posted to the pageant's official Instagram account.

Daniel Topic

Omar Harfouch.

Now, in the wake of Miss Universe 2025 and its surrounding controversies, Harfouch has stated his intention to pursue legal action against the organization. He first spoke out about the possibility on Wednesday, Nov. 19, when he posted a declaration on Instagram.

"I have officially consulted one of the leading law firms in New York to examine the potential filing of a formal complaint before the Office of the Attorney General against the Miss Universe Organization," he wrote. "The issues under review include, but are not limited to: fraud, abuse of power, corruption, deception, breach of contract, conflict of interest, and emotional and reputational damages."Speaking to PEOPLE one day after the pageant, Harfouch says he and his legal team "were waiting to see if Miss Mexico won before we started to pursue legal action, and she did win.”

He continues, “I want to bring justice to contestants, especially the 106 countries who were kicked out three days before the show by a mysterious ‘entity’ [the impromptu jury]."

In the Miss Universe Organization's statement refuting Harfouch's claims on Nov. 18, the pageant directly addressed the rumors of a secret selection committee and a pre-selected top 30.

"The Miss Universe Organization firmly clarifies that no impromptu jury has been created, that no external group has been authorized to evaluate delegates or select finalists, and that all competition evaluations continue to follow the established, transparent, and supervised MUO protocols," read the pageant's response.

Arnun Chonmahatrakool/Thai News Pix/LightRocket via Getty

Fatima Bosch wins Miss Universe 2025.

After Miss Mexico Fátima Bosch was crowned Miss Universe 2025 on stage in Bangkok, Thailand, Harfouch claimed he correctly predicted her win one day earlier, during an interview for an upcoming HBO project.

Speaking to PEOPLE, the former judge said he anticipated Bosch's win because, as he claimed, Miss Universe owner Raúl Rocha attempted to pressure Harfouch into voting for Bosch due to Rocha's alleged business with the pageant queen's father.

Representatives for HBO, Rocha, the Miss Universe Organization and Bosch have not responded to PEOPLE's request for comment.

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Hours after Harfouch's initial resignation on Nov. 18, a contestant — who asked to remain anonymous — told PEOPLE that rumors of a covertly pre-selected top 30 were "heartbreaking" to learn. The former Miss Universe hopeful said many of her fellow contestants learned about the allegations "through social media, not the Miss Universe Organization."

The 2025 pageant contender continued, "So many contestants have sacrificed their personal lives, left their jobs, and spent a year preparing for this moment. Some of us have fallen ill, been hospitalized, or pushed through exhaustion while receiving only three to four hours of sleep each night. We did this because we believed in the integrity of this organization and the mission they told us they stood for."

The anonymous contestant concluded by thanking Harfouch "for standing up for integrity when the organization would not," adding, "He showed the very leadership Miss Universe claims to celebrate.”

on People

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”