Miss Universe controversy: Arrest warrant issued for owner

The South Bangkok Civil Court has issued an arrest warrant for Thai media entrepreneur and co-owner of the Miss Universe pageant, Anne Jakapong Jakrajuttip, on charges of fraud. The warrant was issued on Tuesday (November 25) for allegedly defrauding the company of about $930,000 (30 million baht), a court official confirmed to AFP. This year's Miss Universe pageant ended in Bangkok just a week ago, but the organization has been mired in controversy. Despite the host's lewd comments, accusations of sexism and multiple irregularities, the pageant ended with Miss Mexico winning. However, as the heat of the awards ceremony wore off, a new storm erupted around co-owner Jakapong.

In 2023, a plastic surgeon filed a lawsuit against Jakapong, accusing her of concealing important information and making false promises about refunds when she was persuaded to invest in JKN Global Group. The court said that the accused encouraged the investment despite knowing that he would not be able to return the money on time, which is considered fraud. Although the verdict in the case was scheduled to be announced on Tuesday, an arrest warrant was issued after Jakapong did not appear in court. The new date for the verdict has been set for December 26.

Meanwhile, local media reported that Jakapong left Thailand for Mexico amid the financial crisis. However, the Miss Universe Organization said that this legal process is in no way related to the conduct of their competition.

The recently concluded ‘Miss Universe 2025’ competition was also at a high level of controversy. During the live event, a male host publicly insulted the winner, Miss Mexico Fatima Bosch, for not posting promotional content. Bosch and several competitors left the stage in protest of his comments. Although he later apologized in tears at a press conference, the incident sparked widespread criticism and caught the attention of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.

Incidentally, the ‘Miss Universe’ competition was once owned by former US President Donald Trump. In 2022, Ann Jakapong's JKN Global Group bought it for $20 million and later sold half of its shares to Mexico's Legacy Holding Group USA for $16 million.

Source: Hindustan Times