So, Was This Year’s Miss Universe Rigged?

Hours before the Miss Universe 2025 grand finale, Isabella ‘Bella’ Zabaneh’s parents spoke with News Five. The competition had not yet started, but their message was clear: win or lose, their daughter had already made Belize proud.

“She’s here to compete, to be seen, and to let the world know that Belize is her destination,” her father said. “She won back in the summer when she took Miss Belize Universe.”

In the lead-up to the finale, her mother explained that when things felt overwhelming, Bella would take quiet moments to pray and refocus. She handled the entire journey with remarkable ease, supported by the prayers and encouragement of many who believe in her.

Although she didn’t take home the crown, her father said, “Bella was focused on becoming Miss Universe Belize to be an ambassador for our nation. And she’s done a wonderful job at that… We’ve seen from social media that Bella has really united Belize behind her cause.”

Meanwhile, controversy was brewing behind the scenes. Just days before the event, French judge Omar Harfouch resigned, alleging the competition was rigged. In an unreleased HBO interview, he claimed that Miss Universe owner Raúl Rocha pressured him to vote for Fatima Bosch, citing business interests, and said Rocha was in business with Bosch’s father. In a social media post, Harfouch stated, “Miss Mexico is a Fake winner. I Omar Harfouch declared yesterday exclusively on the Americain HBO, 24 hours before the Miss Universe final, that Miss Mexico would win…”

Miss Mexico, Fatima Bosch, was ultimately crowned. Her own journey to the title had a rocky start. She walked out of a sashing ceremony upon arriving in Thailand after being publicly confronted by Thai executive Nawat Itsaragrisil, an incident that quickly went viral on social media.

After the crowning, another judge who remained on the panel, former Miss Universe Natalie Glebova, announced she would not return. She called for the reinstatement of independent auditors, recalling her own experience. “I competed in 2005 and years prior… there was always an auditor that came on stage with sealed results,” she said.

So, was this year’s Miss Universe rigged?