Miss Universe Organization Pushes Back Against Blame As Miss Jamaica's Harrowing Fall Gains Scrutiny

Miss Jamaica's frightening fall during the Miss Universe preliminary competition has become the center of an emotional and highly scrutinized debate.

As questions swirl and speculation grows, the Miss Universe Organization has stepped forward with a forceful statement, attempting to bring clarity while reaffirming its support for Dr. Gabrielle Henry and her family.

The updated account outlines her injuries, her recovery path, and what the organization says really happened behind the scenes.

A wave of concern rushed through the pageant community in the days following Miss Jamaica Dr. Gabrielle Henry's devastating fall during the evening gown preliminaries at Miss Universe on November 19.

For the first time, the Miss Universe Organization publicly detailed the seriousness of her injuries, describing a traumatic incident that left Henry hospitalized in intensive care.

According to the statement, "Dr. Henry suffered a serious fall through an opening on the stage while performing her walk during the preliminary competition on November 19, 2025, resulting in an intracranial hemorrhage with loss of consciousness, a fracture, facial lacerations, and other significant injuries."

The press release added that "she was immediately admitted to intensive care in Bangkok, where she remained in critical condition under constant neurological monitoring, and continues to require 24-hour specialist supervision."

The statement emphasized that despite her improvement, Henry still needs extensive medical oversight.

She is expected to return home to Jamaica "in the coming days," accompanied by "a full medical escort team" before being "transferred directly to [the] hospital for continued treatment and recovery."

Alongside the medical update, the MUO outlined its continued financial and logistical support throughout Henry's care, stating it had covered her "hospital, medical, and rehabilitation expenses" and provided for her mother and sister's "accommodation and living costs" during their stay in Thailand.

The organization went on to say it is also covering the "medically escorted repatriation flight arranged by the hospital" and "all future medical expenses arising from this incident."

The family expressed gratitude through the MUO's release, which included the lines: "From the time the incident took place, the Miss Universe Organization has stood beside Gabrielle and her family as if she were their own, assuming full and immediate responsibility without hesitation," and "The Henry family is deeply grateful to the Miss Universe Organization for their unwavering compassion, presence, and love shown. Their response so far has gone beyond professional responsibility and reflected devotion and protection of the family."

Despite the MUO's involvement, the incident sparked conversation among contestants, including Melissa Sapini of Haiti, who spoke openly about the fallout in the days after Henry's fall.

Sapini recalled that the contestants were brought together for a meeting shortly after the accident. However, what was said there left her uneasy.

"I don't know that they handled that correctly. The first thing he said was it's because she wasn't paying attention," Sapini told PEOPLE.

She added that the same staff member followed up with, "'Of course, safety is our number one priority'... But it's like, 'Are you serious?' That was really scary."

Her comments ignited questions about whether Henry was being unfairly blamed for an accident many felt was rooted in production oversight.

At the time, MUO declined to comment, while Miss Grand International (MGI), the host pageant organization, said "the incident occurred primarily because she missed her blocking and may not have been looking at the runway while walking," though it firmly denied placing blame on Henry.

With speculation and criticism swirling online, the Miss Universe Organization issued a firm rebuttal in its updated statement.

According to the release, "Certain media reports suggesting that Dr. Henry contributed in any way to the incident are entirely inaccurate. The Miss Universe Organization has never attributed blame to Dr Henry and confirms that those suggestions are unfounded and do not reflect the facts."

The MUO further shared the family's appreciation for the global outpouring of support, stating: "Dr. Henry and her family extend their heartfelt thanks to the people of Jamaica, the Miss Universe community, and supporters worldwide for the overwhelming outpouring of love, prayers, and encouragement."

This clarification appeared aimed not only at correcting the narrative but also at addressing growing frustration among fans who felt transparency had been lacking.

Miss Universe co-owner Raúl Rocha posted the organization's full statement online, adding his own reflections on the ordeal and the backlash that followed.

He wrote, "Thank God our Miss Universe Jamaica is preparing to return home. To all those who were concerned about her health, thank you so much for supporting us with your prayer chains."

Rocha also revealed the emotional weight behind the organization's silence in the days following the accident.

He said, "From our silence, we prayed for the health and speedy recovery of Dr. Gabrielle."

Rocha addressed Henry directly as well, stating the MUO's "wish to carry out together the many charitable projects that are needed [in Jamaica]. You are our voice and our leader there."

However, he did not shy away from criticizing those spreading misinformation, noting, "To all those who, driven by opportunism and a desire for media attention, fabricated so many cruel and insensitive stories, let us continue to ask God to forgive them and help them find inner peace, transforming that destructive hatred they harbor toward others into acts of kindness."

His statement ended with a pointed reflection as he said, "May this be yet another lesson, as it has been revealed that they deceived those who will be judged by their actions with false information."