Miss Universe head Raul Rocha claps back at Omar Harfouch amid rigging claims

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Miss Universe Organization (MUO) president Raul Rocha immediately defended the pageant from allegations that Fatima Bosch’s win was rigged, as fueled by French-Lebanese musician Omar Harfouch on social media.

Shortly after Mexico’s Fatima Bosch was declared as Miss Universe 2025, Harfouch claimed that the results were already predetermined as Bosch’s father already had alleged “business” dealings with Rocha.

“Miss Mexico is a fake winner… Miss Universe owner Raul Rocha is in business with Fatima Bosch’s father,” the musician said. “Raul Rocha and his son urged me, a week ago in Dubai, to vote for Fatima Bosch because they need her to win ‘because it will be good for our business,’ they said to me!”

However, Rocha seemingly took offense to Harfouch’s claims when asked whether the pageant’s results were indeed rigged in a post-Miss Universe 2025 press conference in Thailand on Friday, Nov. 21.

In a video by pageant platform pageanthology, the video showed the upset Rocha approaching the journalist who asked about the rumors. The MUO president then showed screenshots of his exchange with Harfouch. 

Another post from Pageant Talk showed a glimpse of Rocha and Harfouch’s alleged argument, with the MUO president declaring that he will “cancel” the latter as a judge of the global tilt.

“I’ll cancel you… we were talking about beyond the crown. Our philanthropic program for social benefit that has been worked on for a whole year, and you have messed this project up with [your] unfortunate message,” Rocha’s message read.

Before the coronation of the scandal-laden global tilt, Bosch caught the attention of fans after walking out on Miss Universe VP for Asiana Nawat Itsaragrisil, after she was confronted by the Thai business mogul during a sashing ceremony.

Ahtisa Manalo, who represented the Philippines, was named third runner-up at the end of the pageant. /cb