Judge quits Miss Universe in dramatic exit: 'I won't be part of this farce'

A Judge's Dramatic Exit from Miss Universe

One of the judges for Miss Universe has dramatically resigned from his position just days before the highly anticipated competition, calling the event a "charade." Omar Harfouch, a Lebanese composer and musician, announced his resignation from the Miss Universe judging panel three days before the pageant. His decision was based on findings of an "impromptu jury" that had a significant potential conflict of interest due to personal relationships with some of the contestants.

Harfouch claimed that this jury, which had allegedly been formed in secret, was responsible for selecting the contest’s 30 finalists. He pointed out that the person "responsible for counting and the votes and managing the results" had a conflict of interest. Following a "disrespectful conversation" with Miss Universe owner Raul Rocha, he decided to resign and "refuse to be part of this charade."

He accused the pageant of lacking transparency in the voting process and added, "I will also not be playing the music I composed for the event."

Harfouch revealed that he discovered the "impromptu jury" through social media and announced his resignation via his Instagram Story. On Monday, the Miss Universe pageant posted this year's "Beyond the Crown" selection committee, which featured eight "distinguished leaders and innovators." This list did not include Harfouch.

He criticized the contest's list for not specifying "the role played by these individuals" and for creating more confusion about this year's pageant. Harfouch further accused the organization of not including "any of the real eight members of the jury," including himself.

The Miss Universe pageant responded by stating that Harfouch had "incorrectly suggested" that an unauthorized committee had been formed and that official judges had been excluded from the process of selecting finalists. An official statement published on Tuesday read: "Given Mr. Harfuch's [sic] expressed confusion, his public mischaracterization of the program, and his stated desire not to participate, the Miss Universe Organization respectfully acknowledges his withdrawal from the official judging panel."

The organization said Harfouch was banned from "using, displaying, referencing or associating himself" with the Miss Universe brand "effective immediately."

The pageant added that the "Beyond the Crown" committee was an "independent social impact initiative" separate from the Miss Universe competition's official judging. Their statement emphasized that all judging procedures for the 74th Miss Universe competition remained "official, transparent, and fully governed by MUO protocols."

In response, Harfouch claimed not to recognize the committee and likened it to a "secret, undercover submarine." He insisted the Miss Universe pageant was lying and wrote: "I consider that this is illegal."

Harfouch's allegations were described as "heartbreaking" for one anonymous Miss Universe contestant, according to PEOPLE. She accused the organization of selecting a preliminary top 30 "without the presence of the official judges" and "before we've even competed on stage."

"We thank Omar Harfouch for standing up for integrity when the organization would not," she reportedly told the outlet. "He showed the very leadership Miss Universe claims to celebrate."

The Daily Mail has reached out to Harfouch and the Miss Universe organization for further comment.

This is a breaking news story.