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Miss Universe Organization says 6 countries barred from 75th competition amid franchise dispute
The Miss Universe Organization (MUO) said contestants representing six countries will not be eligible to participate in the 75th Miss Universe Competition due to a dispute over their national franchise arrangements.
On Instagram, MUO said it does not recognize the franchise and license agreements purportedly entered into by Miss Universe Eastern Pte. Ltd. and entities associated with Nawat Itsaragrisil, saying these arrangements were made without a valid licensing framework.
The six affected countries are:
- Thailand - purported franchise term of 2025–2029
- Indonesia - purported arrangement for 2026
- Vietnam - 2026
- Laos - 2026
- Malaysia - 2026
- Singapore - 2026
JKN Universe LLC said the entities involved did not have a Franchise License Agreement or other legal licensing instrument with JKN Universe LLC, which it identified as the legal holder of the rights to license the Miss Universe brand.
“Miss Universe Eastern Pte. Ltd. has no authority, whether independently or through any purported arrangement, to grant, assign, transfer, or otherwise confer any license or operational rights concerning the Miss Universe brand, and no valid legal or contractual licensing framework is currently in place authorizing it to do so,” the statement said.
The organization also addressed recent public statements by Nawat, saying he has no access to or standing before the organization’s legitimate directives or officers. JKN Universe LLC denied his statements concerning the company’s financial affairs, describing the information as unverified and unsupported by the facts.
“By disseminating false, misleading, and incomplete information through his social media channels, Mr. Itsaragrisil has made, and continues to make, statements concerning individuals associated with the company and previous Miss Universe competitions that are inaccurate and unsupported by the facts. Such statements have the potential to cause significant harm to the reputation and integrity of the Miss Universe brand,” it said.
The company said it reserves the right to pursue civil and criminal remedies over what it described as false or misleading statements and unauthorized use of the Miss Universe brand and intellectual property.
The Miss Universe Organization and Miss Universe Eastern are currently at odds over who has authority to represent and make decisions for the Miss Universe brand, with Nawat at the center of the dispute.
MUO earlier confirmed that the 75th Miss Universe will proceed in San Juan, Puerto Rico, saying there are no plans to postpone or cancel the event.
It is scheduled on November 24 at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot.
Reigning Miss Universe queen Fatima Bosch of Mexico will pass the crown to her successor.
The Philippines will be represented by Bea Millan-Windorski.
—Carby Rose Basina/CDC, GMA News
