Many Discussed, Fatima Bosch Finally Clarifies Miss Universe's Fraud Issue

JAKARTA - The newly named Miss Universe, Fatima Bosch, has finally spoken up for the first time since winning the event. In an exclusive interview with ABC News, Bosch responded to various accusations ranging from cheating to favorites who were later busy on social media.

The Mexican representing Bosch won the 74th Miss Universe crown on November 21, 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand. He managed to excel over other participants who came from around 130 countries.

"After being crowned, I want to be remembered as someone who can change a little bit of the picture of Miss Universe as well as a sincere and just as it is," he said, quoted from the ABC News page.

In an interview with Juju Chang on the 'Nightline' program, Bosch said this was the first time he had a beauty pageant and his winning moment felt like a dream come true.

Bosch also strongly denied criticism from a number of netizens who accused his victory of business relations between his father, an executive in the oil industry and Raul Rocha Cantu, one of the owners of Miss Universe who is also from Mexico.

"They made a kind of hate campaign. My father had nothing to do with the organization," said Bosch.

"And that's ridiculous. How could you possibly buy a crown? Maybe at Walmart you can buy a crown. But not the Miss Universe crown," he continued.

This year's Miss Universe contest is indeed filled with drama. One of the participants, Miss Jamaica, fell off the stage during the evening dress round and had to be rushed to the hospital. Bosch explained that the condition of the stage made it difficult for participants to see clearly.

"The lampa that shines on us actually makes everything look dark. You can see us, but we can't see anything," he explained.

A few days before the evening of the final, one of the judges, Omar Harfouch resigned. He accused the contest had been arranged and stated that 30 finalists had been predetermined through a secret vote. He also asked Bosch to be disqualified.

In response to this, Bosch said, "If he wants more followers on Instagram, maybe he should just join a TV show,"

The Miss Universe organization denies Harfouch's accusations and states that neither a jury nor an external group selects a finalist. All assessment processes and follow the organization's official rules.

Harfouch still insisted on his accusations and said Bosch's statement about himself seeking popularity was wrong and ridiculous, given his Instagram account already had more than a million followers before the contest took place.

Bosch's name was also in the spotlight when he opted out of an event after the video showed Nawat Itsaragrisil, Director of Miss Universe Thailand seemed to criticize him and called him stupid. Nawat denied using the word. His actions triggered other contestants to come out as a form of solidarity.

"He wanted to embarrass me in front of so many people. And that's not true," said Bosch.

He admitted that he was afraid at the time, "I told him, 'You can't talk like that to me. You can't call me stupid,"

"I can't stand still, because in any situation, self-esteem is more important than any gift or dream," he added.

Itsaragrisil then apologized and said the video was cut, causing a misunderstanding. He emphasized that what was said was damage, not stupid.

The walkout actually earned Bosch a lot of praise and global attention. This year's Miss Universe event also recorded a high audience number with 2.6 million views on Instagram.

However, there were also rumors that Bosch won in exchange for daring to reprimand Nawat and the news of giving up his title. Bosch denied everything.

"I thought I made history. Why not? But of course not, I worked hard, just like other participants. This is work," he said.

"I will never take off this crown because I worked very hard to be here. I'm not looking for fame, not looking for a husband. I'm here because God gave me a goal. I have a mission and will carry it out throughout this year, serving and helping others." he added.

Bosch said he would focus on working with children with cancer, helping migrants, and raising awareness about the now endangered butterfly.