The Miss Universe Walkout Controversy, Explained

Hold up. What is going on with the Miss Universe pageant? There was some sort of walkout? Because a man was being disrespectful to one of the contestants? Creating a genuine girl power moment that was captured on video? Consider us sat.

Let’s get into the Miss Universe pageant walkout, explained.

What happened?In the now viral video, which you can still see on the Miss Universe Thailand Facebook page, Thai pageant director Nawat Itsaragrisil lectures the contestants on the importance of promoting the host nation, Thailand. He specifically calls out Miss Mexico, Fátima Bosch, by name, and accuses her of refusing to participate in a group photo shoot, which was to be posted on social media.

“You don’t like to post everything because your director from Mexico ordered you to not pay any attention, to post about the host country? If you follow the orders from your national director, you are a dumb,” Itsaragrisil said, per The Independent. When Bosch tried to respond, Itsaragrisil quickly shut her down, saying, “I didn’t hear you asking to talk.”

Bosch protested that she has “a voice” and said that Itsaragrisil was not “respecting me as a woman.” In response, Itsaragrisil called for security to remove Bosch. At this point, the other contestants can be heard gasping in surprise. Many of them, including 2024 Miss Universe winner Victoria Kjær Theilvig of Denmark, walked out with Bosch in protest.

Who is Nawat Itsaragrisil?Itsaragrisil is a popular Thai media personality as well as the national director of Miss Universe Thailand and an executive of the Miss Universe Organization. He is also the owner of the Miss Grand International pageant.

As is usually the case with these sorts of things, this is not the first time Itsaragrisil has come under fire for his comments and treatment of women. For one thing, he has a history of body-shaming contestants.

In 2016 it was reported that Itsaragrisil body-shamed then Miss Iceland, Arna Ýr Jónsdóttir. “Stop eating breakfast, eat just salad for lunch, and drink water every evening until the contest,” he told her. Just this past May he reportedly body-shamed Miss Grand International winner Rachel Gupta, causing more widespread backlash.

Who is Fátima Bosch?Bosch won the Miss Universe Mexico title back in September, representing the Tabasco region, where she was born, per Excelsior.

Since her altercation with Itsaragrisil, she has not held back on social media or in interviews. “We’re in the 21st century, and I’m not a doll to be made up, styled, and have my clothes changed. I came here to be a voice for all the women and all the girls who fight for causes and to tell my country that I’m completely committed to that,” she said in a video statement. And she wrote on Instagram, “Mexicans don’t give up, because giving up, has never been part of our history.”

Following the incident, she also spoke to the press, telling one interviewer, “Your director is not respectful. He called me dumb because he had problems with the organization.” She continued, “I think that’s not fair because I am here. I do everything okay. I don’t mess with anyone. I just try to be kind.”

Regarding the walkout, she continued, “I think that the world needs to see this, because we are empowered women, and this is a platform for our voice, and no one can shut our voice, and no one will do that to me.… I hope that everyone at home, every woman, doesn’t matter if you have a big dream or you have a crumb, if that’s take away your dignity you need to go. Thank you.”

Who has responded?Reigning Miss Universe Theilvig told reporters, “This is about women’s rights. We respect everyone, but this is not how things should be handled. Insulting another contestant is a huge lack of respect, and I would never do that. That’s why I’m putting on my coat and leaving,” according to the Independent.

Meanwhile, Miss Universe Organization president Raúl Rocha Cantú said in a video statement, “I would like to make it clear my great indignation toward Nawat for the public aggression he committed against Fátima Bosch, whom he humiliated, insulted, and he showed a lack of respect, in addition to the serious abuse of having called security to intimidate a defenseless woman, trying to silence and exclude her.” The Miss Universe organization of Mexico has also posted in support of Bosch, writing, “Because real queens don’t break, they rise brighter.”

What about Itsaragrisil?In his first video apology, such as it is, Itsagrisil said, “If anyone [was] feeling not good, if anyone [was not] comfortable, if anyone [was affected], I do apologize [to] everyone. But I did talk, apologize to the rest of the girls in the room, around 75 still.”

He later spoke through tears during a press conference as someone stood by with tissues, as can be seen in one TikTok video. “I am human. I didn’t want to do anything like that,” he told press on November 5, per USA Today.

He then addressed the delegates directly during a welcome event that day. “I want to take this opportunity to say something about something that’s happened. Because I am a human,” Itsaragrisil said, per USA Today. “I think you must understand the pressure is a lot, I am a human sometimes. I cannot control. By the way, I have not intend to hurt anyone.”

What were the consequences?In his video statement, Rocha declared that Itsaragrisil’s participation in the 74th Miss Universe competition would be limited “as much as possible or eliminating it entirely,” starting with postponing a sash presentation ceremony to “avoid any interaction with Nawat.”

He also called on the Miss Universe organization CEO Mario Bucaro to directly address “all legal actions they will undertake as a result of the malicious acts committed by Nawat” in a statement of their own. Lastly, Rocha revealed he instructed a delegation of executives and “diplomatic experts” from the Miss Universe organization to “travel to Thailand and take control” of the event. “We had, unfortunately, trusted [Miss Grand International]…and that trust has failed.”