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Omar Harfouch said he withdrew because he believed a preliminary vote had selected the Miss Universe 2025 Top 30 without the official judges, including him. He said he would not legitimize a vote he had not taken part in and raised concerns about transparency and possible conflicts of interest. The Miss Universe Organization (MUO) denied that an unauthorized jury had selected finalists, saying the committee that prompted the dispute belonged to a separate initiative. The available accounts do not independently establish that the alleged vote took place.
What Harfouch said prompted his withdrawal
Harfouch announced his withdrawal on November 18, 2025, three days before the pageant was scheduled to take place in Thailand. He said he had learned through social media of a vote to choose 30 finalists from 136 delegates and believed the official judging panel had not participated. He also alleged that people outside the panel were involved and raised the possibility that someone had a personal relationship with a contestant. Those details are Harfouch’s claims, not independently established findings.
El Universo quoted his explanation in Spanish: “No puedo pararme frente al público y las cámaras pretendiendo legitimar un voto en el que nunca participé. Sería deshonesto”. In English: “I cannot stand before the public and the cameras pretending to legitimize a vote in which I never participated. It would be dishonest.” The English wording is a translation of the Spanish quotation.
What Miss Universe said in response
MUO said the committee announcement Harfouch cited concerned Beyond the Crown, a separate social-impact initiative, rather than the official pageant judging process. In its November 18 statement, the organization said: “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.” This is MUO’s account of its process, not independent verification.
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In a companion statement, MUO said the Beyond the Crown committee operated independently of the official judging panel, did not evaluate delegates’ competition performances, and did not award points toward the final results. MUO acknowledged Harfouch’s withdrawal and said he could no longer associate himself with its trademarks and titles.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Was the Top 30 secretly selected or the judging rigged?
The accounts establish a dispute, not proof of a secret vote or rigging. Harfouch alleged that a preliminary finalist vote had taken place without the official judges and questioned its transparency. MUO denied that an unauthorized group had been formed to evaluate delegates or choose finalists, and identified the announced committee as part of Beyond the Crown. The cited reporting and statements do not provide vote records or independent findings that resolve the disagreement.
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It is therefore accurate to say Harfouch quit because he believed the finalist-selection process had bypassed the official judges and did not want to legitimize it. It would go beyond the established evidence to say that the Top 30 was secretly fixed, that anyone committed fraud, or that an actual conflict of interest affected the result.
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