• Fátima Bosch wins crown two weeks after pageant executive called her dummy
• Executive dismissed after viral livestream showed him berating contestant
• Mexican president praises Bosch for standing up with dignity

BANGKOK, Thailand (TDR) — Fátima Bosch of Mexico was crowned the 74th Miss Universe on Thursday night, capping a controversy-plagued pageant that began when a pageant executive publicly berated her during a livestreamed event, prompting fellow contestants to walk out in solidarity.

Bosch, 25, defeated first runner-up Praveenar Singh of Thailand and Stephany Adriana Abasali Nasser of Venezuela at the Impact Challenger Hall in Bangkok. The victory marked Mexico's fourth Miss Universe crown and came just two weeks after Nawat Itsaragrisil, an executive director of the Miss Universe Organization, called her a "dummy" during a November 4 sashing ceremony.

Viral confrontation sparks solidarity

The heated exchange, livestreamed on the Miss Universe Thailand Facebook page, showed Itsaragrisil scolding Bosch for allegedly not participating in a social media photo shoot with the organizing committee.

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"If you follow the order from your national director, you are dumb," Itsaragrisil said. When Bosch attempted to respond, he demanded she sit down. "I didn't give you opportunity to talk. Why do you stand up to talk to me?"

Because I have a voice. You are not respecting me as a woman.

Itsaragrisil then called for security, prompting Bosch to leave the room. Several contestants followed her out, including Miss Universe 2024 Victoria Kjær Theilvig of Denmark, who later defended Bosch on Instagram Stories.

In a video interview shared on social media, Bosch said: "What your director did is not respectful. He called me dumb because he has problems with the organization. And I think that's not fair because I'm here and I do everything OK."

Executive dismissed, pageant president responds

Miss Universe Organization president Raúl Rocha Cantú condemned Itsaragrisil's conduct as "public aggression" and "serious abuse." Itsaragrisil was subsequently dismissed from his duties at the pageant.

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The Thai businessman later broke down in tears while apologizing. "I am human. I didn't want to do anything like that," he told reporters. "I think you must understand the pressure is a lot. I am a human sometimes. I cannot control."

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, the country's first female leader, praised Bosch for standing up in a "dignified" way. "It seems to me that it is an example of how women should raise our voices," Sheinbaum told reporters. "We women look more beautiful when we raise our voice and participate, because that has to do with the recognition of our rights."

Additional controversies mar pageant

The 74th Miss Universe competition, themed "The Power of Love," faced additional turmoil when judge Omar Harfouch resigned days before the event, claiming an "impromptu jury" had secretly chosen the Top 30 finalists with potential conflicts of interest. The Miss Universe Organization denied the allegations.

During the preliminary evening gown round, Miss Jamaica Gabrielle Henry fell off the runway and was hospitalized, though pageant owner Raul Rocha confirmed she suffered no broken bones.

Speaking after her victory, Bosch said she wants to be remembered as "a person that changed a little bit the prototype of what is a Miss Universe and a real person that gives the heart." She described the pageant as "a platform that is strong because they have the space that women are searching to have a voice."

Should international pageant organizations implement stricter codes of conduct to protect contestants from verbal abuse by executives?

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