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TWO MISS UNIVERSE 2025 JUDGES RESIGN, CLAIM PAGEANT WAS PRE-RIGGED AND COMMITTEE MEMBER HAD AFFAIR WITH CONTESTANT true or false and does that mean a committee member had sex with a contestant

Checked on November 21, 2025
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Executive summary

Two judges did resign ahead of the Miss Universe 2025 finale: Omar Harfouch publicly quit alleging a “secret” or “impromptu” committee pre-selected the top 30 and threatened legal action, while Claude Makélélé cited “unforeseen personal reasons” [1] [2]. Multiple outlets report Harfouch also alleged that a member of that selection committee was having an affair with a contestant — a claim the Miss Universe Organization has denied or said may refer to a separate “Beyond the Crown” initiative [3] [4].

1. What actually happened: two resignations, one public allegation

Reporting is consistent that Omar Harfouch resigned from the eight-member judging panel and accused the competition of lack of transparency and of using an “impromptu jury” to choose finalists; a second judge, Claude Makélélé, stepped down around the same time but gave a brief, non-accusatory reason [1] [2] [5]. News outlets including BBC, CNN and The New York Times document Harfouch’s public posts and the organization’s denials [4] [6] [1].

2. The rigging allegation: what Harfouch says and how MUO responded

Harfouch said a secret panel of people not on the official jury had pre-selected the top 30 from 136 contestants and that some panel members had personal ties to contestants; he described this as a “charade” and suggested potential conflicts of interest [1] [7]. The Miss Universe Organization denied the allegation that any unauthorized group evaluated delegates or selected finalists and characterized Harfouch’s comments as a mischaracterization, noting the “Beyond the Crown” selection committee is separate from the official judging process [4] [8].

3. The affair allegation: wording, sourcing, and reporting limits

Multiple outlets cite Harfouch saying the “significant potential conflict of interest” included an alleged affair between a selection-committee member and a contestant; that formulation comes primarily from Harfouch’s interviews with People and subsequent press coverage [3] [9]. Coverage repeats the allegation as Harfouch’s claim; reporters note it as an allegation rather than a proven fact [3] [9].

4. Does the reporting prove a committee member had sex with a contestant?

Available sources report an allegation of an affair made by Harfouch but do not provide independent corroboration, named parties, police reports, or on-record confirmations; outlets frame it as Harfouch’s claim and the MUO’s denial or explanation [3] [4]. Therefore, current reporting documents the allegation but does not prove the sexual encounter occurred beyond Harfouch’s statements [3] [4].

5. Competing explanations and possible motives to note

The MUO and several outlets point to an alternative explanation: the group Harfouch referenced may be the Beyond the Crown selection committee, a separate social-impact initiative with its own members, which the organization said is not involved in choosing finalists — suggesting confusion or misidentification rather than deliberate rigging [4] [8]. At the same time, Harfouch has claimed business ties between the pageant’s leadership and the winner’s family as part of his broader charge, and he has said he may pursue legal action [10] [11].

6. What journalists have and haven’t verified so far

News organizations consistently quote Harfouch’s Instagram posts and People’s exclusive interviews for the affair allegation [3] [12]. Major outlets — BBC, NYT, CNN, NPR — report Harfouch’s rigging claim and the MUO denial but do not independently confirm an affair or preselection process beyond what Harfouch alleges [1] [4] [6] [7]. In short, primary sources for the affair claim are Harfouch’s statements and repeated media citation; independent verification is not in the available reporting [3] [4].

7. Legal, reputational and practical implications to watch

Harfouch has signaled potential legal action and framed his exit as a stand against “playing with the destiny of young girls,” which could escalate scrutiny of MUO procedures if pursued; the organization has publicly denied the core allegations and pointed to separate programs as context [10] [8]. If substantiated, claims of both preselection and intimate relationships between committee members and contestants would raise conflict-of-interest and possibly criminal or contractual issues — but such outcomes depend on evidence and formal investigations not yet reported [10] [5].

8. Bottom line for readers

Two judges did resign and one made public allegations of rigging and a committee-member’s affair; those allegations are reported widely but remain unproven in the public record. Available reporting documents Harfouch’s claims and MUO’s denials, but independent corroboration of the affair or a clandestine preselection process is not found in current coverage [3] [4].

Want to dive deeper?
Which Miss Universe 2025 judges resigned and what reasons did they publicly give?
Is there credible evidence that Miss Universe 2025 was rigged or manipulated?
Has any Miss Universe committee member been accused of having a sexual relationship with a contestant?
What are the pageant's rules and investigations process for conflicts of interest and misconduct?
How have past beauty pageants handled allegations of rigging or impropriety and what were outcomes?