The company that owns the Miss Universe brand, JKN Universe LLC, stated on September 18 that the contestants from Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia, and Singapore wouldn’t be eligible to compete at the 75th Miss Universe pageant in Puerto Rico this upcoming November.
The statement went on further to justify that the company Miss Universe Eastern Pte Ltd, run by Thai businessman Nawat Itsaragrisil, had no authority to grant or transfer rights to the Miss Universe brand, since the franchise agreements for the six countries had been made without a valid licensing agreement.
However, Itsaragrisil has assured that his company had the contractual right to send the “six duly selected and eligible delegates,” whose participation “shouldn’t be blocked, delayed or affected” by the disagreement between the two sides.
“I am not going, but the contestants are definitely going,” Itsaragrisil concluded, according to The Nation.
Of the six affected countries, only Thailand has chosen its representative so far, with Tharina Botes crowned Miss Universe Thailand in August. Malaysia and Vietnam are due to pick their contestants next month.
Indeed, beauty pageants have long been surrounded by drama, scandal, lawsuits, and public embarrassment. Click through the following gallery to see the most controversial moments in beauty pageant history.