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Miss Universe Organization President Raul Rocha issues statements amid allegations of rigged results for 2025 pageant
Miss Universe Organization President Raul Rocha has issued several statements on social media amid allegations of rigged results of the recently concluded pageant where Miss Mexico Fatima Bosch was declared the winner.
Rocha first released a three-part post on Instagram, where he highlighted the struggles and challenges that occur behind-the-scenes.
"Living together for 20 days, 24 hours a day, inevitably leads to countless situations in which discipline, responsibility, professionalism, sisterhood, a spirit of service, and many other values must prevail, especially loyalty toward all other competitors. These, among other factors, are what the discipline committee takes into account, along with a private interview and later the judging panel’s evaluations," he said, adding the three hours onstage "do not reflect all the qualities" that a Miss Universe queen must posses.
In the second part of his statement, Raul went straight to the point: "The only truth that stands is that no judge resigned," Rocha began.
"The musician, whom nobody knew, turned out to be an opportunist, and anyone with good judgment can see how an unknown person tried to latch onto the fame of Miss Universe to gain followers," Rocha wrote.
"Honestly, I feel pity and compassion for someone I was asked to help for his so-called “concert for peace” and to whom I extended my trust, someone who could never even look me in the eye because he always hides behind dark glasses, even at night," he added.
Rocha also addressed the other resigned judges saying "Regarding the other two judges, whom I respect, I emphasize that they did not resign. Only God, they, and I know this. I prefer not to elaborate further out of respect for them and for the organization."
In his statement, Rocha said "the entire circus surrounding" the resignation of two other judges "was created falsely, once again, by the pseudo-musician for his own benefit, knowing that with his poor and limited career, he would not receive media attention otherwise."
"I demanded that he stop involving third parties who have never claimed to have resigned because that is not the case, and the particular circumstances of each situation have nothing to do with this unfortunate musician’s intentions," Rocha said.
In the final part of his statement, Rocha emphasized that Miss Universe is "a 100% private organization."
"We do not receive public funds or sponsorships from any public entity. Judges do not receive any payment for participating, and Miss Universe Organization covers all expenses incurred by those who honor us with their presence," he said.
"Nothing and no one will stop the global phenomenon that is Miss Universe, a phenomenon heard and felt around the world. The results speak for themselves, and we are only a few days in. We will break every record," he added as he quoted the Bible to end his statement.
Rocha later followed it with photos of documents about his companies, clarifying how he came to own 50% of the Miss Universe Organization.
Written in Mexican Spanish and translated into English by Google Translate, Rocha clarified that "During the period in which the negotiations for this bidding process took place, I had no direct or indirect relationship with any member or executive of the Miss Universe Organization, much less with any member of the Bosch family, whom I had the pleasure of meeting just two months prior at the Miss Universe Mexico 2025 pageant held on September 13, 2025."
"Therefore, it is completely false and impossible that any relationship exists between the awarding of this contract and the victory of said contestant in the 74th Miss Universe pageant, held on November 21, 2025, in Bangkok, given that a period of two years and eight months elapsed between the date of the contract signing and this pageant," he said.
Throughout his statements, Rocha did not name the French-Lebanese musician Omar Harfouch, who claimed the results were rigged immediately after Miss Mexico Fatima Bosch was crowned Miss Universe 2025.
In his allegations, Harfouch said he had earlier declared that Miss Mexico would win "because Miss Universe owner Raúl Rocha is in business with Fatima Bosch’s father."
Harfouch took to social media two days before the coronation event to announce his resignation.
Meanwhile, French football manager Claude Makélélé also took to Instagram ahead of the event and said he would not be able to attend the finale due to personal reasons, while People Magazine, citing Harfouch reported that Princess Camilla di Borbone delle Due Sicilie, the president of the Miss Universe selection committee, also dropped out of the pageant days before the event.
— LA, GMA Integrated News
