Miss Universe: the Biggest Controversies in the History of the Competition

Miss Universe 2022 is just around the corner. Although it didn’t take place last year, the contest will begin on January 14th in New Orleans, USA. With two participants having already stepped down from the competition due to Covid, and a crown being taken away, this year’s Miss Universe promises to add up to the long list of controversies surrounding the contest.

What Happened to Miss Bolivia?

Fernanda Pavisic, who was going to represent Bolivia in the competition, was dethroned by the organization after making offensive comments on some of her fellow candidates. In a viral video, Fernanda can be heard calling Miss Paraguay, Miss Brazil, and Miss El Salvador “old ladies” and claiming that Miss Ecuador, Miss Aruba, and Miss Curacao all belong in the “thanks for participating” category.

She also said that Miss Venezuela and Miss Peru resembled transsexuals, making fun of the identity of the new Miss Universe Organization owner, Anne Jakrajutatip. After the controversy, Miss Bolivia states that the video was part of a “social experiment” and, after having the title taken away, she called the decision “absolutely unfair.”

Alicia Machado body-shamed by Trump

Alicia Machado’s story has to be the saddest of them all. The Venezuelan won the competition in 1996 and everything was fun and games until she gained 40 pounds (18 kilos). Donald Trump, who was then the owner of Miss Universe, publicly humiliated her, making journalists and photographers daily watch her as she was forced to exercise and diet. People called her “Miss Piggy” and even Trump said she was an “eating machine.”

Years after the controversy, Machado called the former US president a “detestable being” and a “nazi rat.” “I have always spoken out against Donald Trump, I have always said from the year 96 to this day that this man is a detestable being. For my health, I wish Osmel Sousa and Venevisión would have defended me from the Nazi rat! Miss Universe 96, at just 18 years old,” Alicia wrote on Twitter. She also filed a report against Trump for trying to have sexual relations with her around the time she won the beauty contest.

Zuleyka Rivera became the fifth Puerto Rican Miss Universe in 2006. However, she almost had the title taken away due to her weight gain. The model fainted during her tour and claimed that it happened as a result of the strenuous exercises and strict diet that she had to undergo to prepare for the contest.

Lupita Jones, Dayanara Torres and Anyella Grados

The crown of Miss Universe has been given 70 times, and Latinas have taken 21 of them, so Pavisic hasn’t been the only one to participate in controversies. Lupita Jones became the first Mexican contestant to receive the title in 1991 and she has been able to stay out of scandals up until 2018. She then was hardly criticized after stating that transgender women shouldn’t participate in Miss Universe, referring to Spanish Ángela Ponce. Jones was not the only one who said so, as Miss Colombia 2018, Valeria Morales, said that “the contest is only for women who were born women.”

Dayanara Torres won the crown in 1993 for Puerto Rico, after it was rumored she was younger than 18 years old, beating fan-favorite Paula Betancurt. She had to face several critics from the audience and some judges who raised their voice in protest, pointing out an alleged fraud.

In 2019, Miss Peru Anyella Grados, was expelled from the contest after a viral video showed her partying in a drunken state, contrary to the rules established by the pageant. The president of the Miss Peru Organization indicated that Grados didn’t follow the behavior expected from a beauty queen, so she was eliminated from the competition.

Without a doubt, one of the most memorable in recent years was when, during the transmission of Miss Universe 2015, Steve Harvey crowned Ariadna Gutiérrez from Colombia but, as the celebrations were increasing, the host called out his mistake and announced that the real winner was Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach from the Philippines.

Other Miss Universe Scandals

But Latinas weren’t the only contestants to take part in the competition’s scandals. Catriona Gray, who won Miss Universe in 2018 representing the Philippines, faced criticism due to her body image, after breaking the crown and also because of some leaked topless pictures. However, her name was in every media outlet not because of her, but because the new owner of Miss Universe, Anne Jakapong. Even though the transgender multi millionaire and LGBTQAI+ activist promised to make the contest less controversial and more inclusive, she was rumored to have started dating Catriona’s former fiancé, who is 15 years younger than Anne. However, although there were speculations about a leaked sex video between the man and Jakapong, she clarified the gossip saying she already had her “own soulmate.”