Miss Universe Turmoil Continues With Court Arrest Warrant

The drama surrounding the 2025 Miss Universe competition isn't over, as the co-owner of the organization is in trouble with the law.

An arrest warrant has been issued for Anne Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip, the co-owner of the Miss Universe Organization, following her absence at a scheduled hearing. She was expected to appear in a Bangkok court on Tuesday, November 25.

Days before the arrest warrant made waves, Fátima Bosch was crowned the Miss Universe 2025 titleholder, becoming the fourth Mexican to hold the coveted title. However, her victory has been undermined by rigging allegations and troubles within the Miss Universe competition.

According to new reports, Jakrajutatip skipped out of her scheduled hearing without notice, pushing the judge to issue a warrant for her arrest. The Bangkok South District Court explained in a statement that Jakrajutatip was deemed a flight risk because she did not inform the court about her whereabouts.

Jakrajutatip became entangled with the law in 2023 after businessman Raweewat Maschamadol sued her and her JKN Global Group Public Co. Ltd. for allegedly defrauding him. He claimed he was exploited when Jakrajutatip sold her company's corporate bonds in 2023, causing a 30 million baht ($930,362) loss.

The Independent reported that JKN had defaulted on payments to investors in 2023 before beginning debt rehabilitation procedures with the Central Bankruptcy Court a year later. The company alleged it had about 3 billion baht ($93 million) in debts, with Jakrajutatip's troubles worsening their situation.

Jakrajutatip resigned from all positions in JKN in June after an investigation by Thailand's Securities and Exchange Commission uncovered more fraudulent allegations. She was accused of falsifying the company's 2023 financial statements.

Before her absence at the November 25 hearing, JKN denied the widespread rumors of Jakrajutatip liquidating the company's assets and fleeing the country. Despite their claims, Jakrajutatip remains at large, with no concrete information about her whereabouts.

She was also absent from the 74th Miss Universe competition, which was held in Bangkok. In 2022, Jakrajutatip's JKN acquired the rights to the Miss Universe pageant from IMG Worldwide LLC.

A year later, the company sold 50% of its Miss Universe shares to Legacy Holding Group USA, owned by Mexican businessman Raúl Rocha Cantú.

The fraud allegations against the Miss Universe Organization co-owner follow the drama that ensued from the 2025 competition. The Blast shared that Côte d'Ivoire's Olivia Yacé resigned from her continental title just days after the achievement.

Yacé finished fourth runner-up in the Miss Universe 2025 pageant and was named one of the continental queens, Miss Universe Africa and Oceania. She announced her decision to step down from the title and "any future affiliation with the Miss Universe Committee" in an emotional Instagram post.

The model's statement repeatedly highlighted her desire to hold on to her values and stressed that stepping away from the title would allow her to defend these beliefs. "My greatest wish is to be a role model for the new generation, especially young girls," Yacé explained.

Yacé wasn't the only contestant who resigned her title to protect her values, as Brigitta Schaback stepped down from her title as Miss Universe Estonia. She addressed her exit on Instagram in a brief statement, writing: "My values and work ethics do not align with those of the National Director, Natalie Korneitsik."

Unlike Yacé, who received support from her organization after her exit, Estonia's pageant reps did not support Schaback. Instead, they defended their National Director while slamming the model for inappropriate conduct, such as harmful public comments.

Yacé and Schaback's exits came amid rigging allegations leveled against the Miss Universe Organization by a former judge. The Blast reported that Omar Harfouch resigned from his position on November 18 and accused showrunners of pre-selecting the top 30 finalists.

According to Harfouch, the Miss Universe pageant was rigged from the start, as an "impromptu jury" had pre-selected 30 contestants out of the 106 countries that participated. Now, the former judge was working on filing a legal complaint against the organization.

Harfouch revealed that he waited to see who would be crowned Miss Universe before turning to the law to prove his rigging claims. He knew Fátima Bosch would emerge victorious because of alleged business dealings between her father and Miss Universe owner Raúl Rocha.

The former judge stressed that his main goal was justice for the other contestants who were unfairly eliminated because of backroom deals. Surprisingly, Bosch earned the Miss Universe title after a controversial exchange with the organization's Thailand president, Nawat Itsaragrisil.