The Miss Universe winner stormed out of this year’s event after the pageant president reprimanded Miss Mexico for not showing ‘respect’.
Victoria Theilvig walked out of the sashing ceremony at the Miss Universe delegates’ hotel in Bangkok, Thailand, after the senior official berated Melissa Flores Bosch in front of dozens of other beauty queens.
The incident took place during a live-streamed ceremony of the event, where Nawat Itsaragrisil, Vice President for Asia and Oceania within the Miss Universe Organisation, confronted Bosch about her absence from a sponsor shoot earlier that day.
In footage broadcast on the official Miss Universe Thailand Facebook page, Nawat can be heard asking Bosch to stand and ‘explain herself’ in front of the rolling cameras.
When the visibly uncomfortable contestant responded that she did not want to be publicly reprimanded before her pageant peers, Nawat took to the microphone to interrupt and call her ‘dumb’.
He then instructed security personnel to escort her out of the hotel event after she insisted on ‘using my voice’.
Bosch left the room as several other contestants also got to their feet seemingly ready to stage a walkout.
Nawat could be heard shouting ‘Stop, stop’ as the beauty queens began making their way out of the room. Nawat then tells them to ‘Sit down’.
The incident took place during a live-streamed ceremony of the event, where Nawat Itsaragrisil, Vice President for Asia and Oceania within the Miss Universe Organisation, confronted Melissa Flores Bosch about her absence from a sponsor shoot earlier that day
Bosch left the room as several other contestants also got to their feet seemingly ready to stage a walkout
Nawat could be heard shouting ‘Stop, stop’ as the beauty queens began making their way out of the room. Nawat then tells them to ‘Sit down’
Theilvig is one of the pageant queens who storms out of the ceremony and is later seen in footage announcing she would not remain in the venue.
‘This is about women’s rights,’ she said. ‘I’m so sorry, we need to do something bigger.
‘We have respect for everyone, but this is not how things can be handled.
‘To trash another girl – it’s beyond disrespectful and it’s nothing I’ve ever done. That’s why I’m taking my coat and I’m going.’
The clip was shared to social media and quickly gained traction online, as well praise from other women and delegates.
Fans and former contestants hailed Theilvig’s walkout as an act of integrity and courage. Influencers described the moment as ‘the most empowering act in Miss Universe history.’
Others, however, accused the Danish titleholder of overstepping protocol and disrupting an official event.
Some Thai fans defended Nawat, suggesting his comments had been mistranslated or taken out of context.
The Miss Universe Organisation released a statement saying: ‘All scheduled events and activities will continue as planned, reaffirming our shared goal of delivering an exceptional celebration that reflects the values of diversity, empowerment, and inclusion that define the Miss Universe legacy.’
The Miss Universe Organisation, now owned by Thailand-based JKN Global Group, has faced increasing criticism over transparency and contestant treatment.
Theilvig is one of the pageant queens who storms out of the ceremony and is later seen in footage announcing she would not remain in the venue
Fans and former contestants hailed Theilvig’s walkout as an act of integrity and courage
The Bangkok walkout has reignited those concerns, with critics saying it highlights ‘a toxic culture of public shaming’ within the organisation.
The 22-year-old, who hails from Miami, Florida, was crowned as Miss Cuba 2025 in July.
However, many seemed to be skeptical of Luaces’ win, as it was revealed that she is the daughter of Univision host Lili Estefan. Her uncle, Emilio Estefan, is a music producer and businessman and her aunt is famous singer Gloria Estefan.
Lili, Gloria and Emilio were born in Cuba, while Luaces grew up in Miami. Her mother is estimated to have a net worth of around $500 million.
Many even took to the official Miss Universe Cuba Instagram page to air their grievances, with some even claiming that it was ‘rigged’ due to the ‘nepo baby‘ win.
