Heavy lies the crown.
Leaders of the Miss Universe Organization allegedly blamed Miss Jamaica Gabrielle Henry after she suffered a scary fall from the beauty pageant stage last week.
Miss Haiti Melissa Sapini opened up about the startling incident and how leadership responded during a chat with People published on Wednesday.
“I don’t know that they handled that correctly,” Sapini, 22, told the outlet. “The first thing [the pageant staff member] said was it’s because she wasn’t paying attention.”
“After he said that, then he was like, ‘Of course, safety is our number one priority,’ this, that,” Miss Haiti added. “But it’s like, ‘Are you serious?’ That was really scary.”
The Post has reached out to the Miss Universe Organization for comment.
Henry, 28, had tumbled off the runway and face-planted into the crowd during the preliminary evening gown round at Miss Universe 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand, on Nov. 19.
Audience members quickly jumped up to check on the fallen beauty queen, and additional footage showed Henry being carried away on a stretcher.
Although Miss Jamaica was rushed to the nearby Paolo Rangsit Hospital, officials said on social media that she didn’t suffer any life-threatening injuries or break any bones in the fall.
Miss Universe President Raúl Rocha provided another update about Henry’s condition via Instagram on Monday.
While he confirmed that the injured contestant was in “good health” and “nearing discharge,” Rocha stopped short of sharing any further details.
The Miss Universe Organization wishes to address recent speculation by providing a clear and respectful update regarding Dr. Gabrielle Henry Miss Universe Jamaica 2025,” the organization’s president began.
“Out of respect for Dr. Henry and her family, the Organization maintains strict discretion regarding specific details of her medical status,” he continued. “We believe that matters concerning her health should be communicated only at the appropriate time and solely at the family’s discretion, or by Dr. Henry herself should she choose to do so.”
Henry’s sister later revealed that Miss Jamaica wasn’t “doing as well as we would have hoped” following her fall, and pageant officials confirmed on Friday that the contestant would remain in the hospital for at least another week.
But that wouldn’t be the only incident to plague this year’s competition.
Miss Universe exec Nawat Itsaragrisil was dismissed from the pageant on Nov. 4 after a tense confrontation with Miss Mexico Fátima Bosch resulted in several contestants walking out of a pre-pageant event in protest.
Bosch, 25, was later crowned Miss Universe 2025 on Nov. 21.
Miss Universe judge Omar Harfouch made headlines as well when he resigned from the pageant a few days before the pageant officially kicked off.
Harfouch claimed that the Top 30 finalists had been chosen in secret long before the judges ever cast their votes.
Miss Haiti addressed the drama surrounding this year’s pageant and how it affected her and other contestants during her chat with People.
“There were so many little things,” she told the outlet. “I’ll never forget it was before – because we had a day in between prelims and finals – just sitting in my room with my roommate thinking, ‘Is this it?’ We’re looking at each other. We’re looking at these articles, and we’re not even talking.”
“We’re just looking at each other with our faces drained,” Sapini added. “And you just see dreams and hopes lost. That’s so sad to me.”
