Calls for accountability within Miss Universe are growing louder as Miss Haiti 2025 Melissa Queenie Sapini has publicly urged for an “independent, external, and transparent” investigation into the pageant, citing concerns about integrity, backstage conditions, and unresolved allegations following a turbulent competition season.
Sapini’s statement, released this week to outlets including People, follows an ABC News Nightline interview with Miss Universe 2025 winner Fátima Bosch, which aired on Tuesday, December 2.
While Bosch defended the organization during her appearance, Sapini was careful to distance herself from the reigning titleholder.
“Let me be clear: this is not about Fátima. This is about protecting the women who cannot safely speak for themselves,” Sapini said. “I am speaking out because the organizers continue to provide excuses instead of answers.”
The 22-year-old called representing Haiti “the greatest honor” of her life, while stressing that the stakes now extend beyond any individual crown. “The world is watching,” she said, warning that the current narrative “threatens the future and the integrity of Miss Universe.”
Sapini directly addressed ongoing controversies, including public discourse surrounding Bosch’s victory. “Jokes about social media followers and Walmart crowns will not distract from the serious allegations we are raising,” she said, referencing Bosch’s earlier comment dismissing claims that external forces influenced her win.
A significant portion of Sapini’s statement focused on pageant executive Nawat Itsaragrisil, whose confrontation with Bosch was livestreamed on November 4 and became the first major flashpoint of the season. “I was in that room. We all heard what he said,” Sapini stated. “Claiming it was a misunderstanding is insulting to every multilingual woman in the competition.”
She rejected explanations that language barriers played a role and criticized Itsaragrisil’s public response. “His crocodile tears were dramatic, not honest,” she said, adding that efforts to pursue legal action against Bosch reflected attempts to silence dissent. “When will this man stop?”
Representatives for Miss Grand International, the organization led by Itsaragrisil, have disputed interpretations of the incident, stating that Bosch mischaracterized his remarks.
Beyond leadership disputes, Sapini highlighted conditions that contestants faced behind the scenes.
“Anyone who has competed knows: what happens backstage is just as important as what happens on stage,” she said. “Right now, only the stage story is being told.”
In previous interviews, Sapini described an environment marked by confusion, illness, and anxiety. She recalled contestants being hospitalized, widespread reports of flu symptoms and food poisoning, and growing concern after multiple judges resigned days before the final competition.
“Every single day, there was something,” she said. “There were so many red flags from the beginning.”
As allegations mounted—including claims of predetermined finalist selections, resignations by judges and titleholders, and legal trouble involving Miss Universe ownership—Sapini argued that internal reviews are insufficient.
“Having Miss Universe defend Miss Universe is like asking a police department to investigate itself,” she stated. “It will never produce the full truth.”
