"Miss Mexico" Fatima Bosch, 25, won the 74th Miss Universe pageant on the 21st local time. During the competition, she pushed back head-on against a crude remark by an organizer and even walked out, but she ultimately seized the crown.
According to the AP and AFP news agencies, Bosch was named the winner of "Miss Universe 2025" in the final held in Bangkok, Thailand, that day. The runner-up was "Miss Thailand" Praveena Singh, 29, and third place went to "Miss Venezuela" Stefany Abasali, 25.
Right after winning, Bosch said, "I hope to be remembered as someone who changed the mold of what Miss Universe is a little, a real person who sincerely opens her heart," adding, "This competition is a powerful platform in that it is a space women are seeking to use their voices."
Miss Universe, a global beauty pageant with participants from 120 countries and considered one of the world's four major beauty contests, saw controversy even before it opened this year. At a preliminary event on the 4th, Nawat Itsaragrisil, a Thailand-based director on the organizing committee, sparked controversy by telling Bosch, "You are a dummy." He cited Bosch's failure to follow local publicity guidelines, and when she protested, he called security in an attempt to remove her from the venue.
In response, Bosch did not back down, faced off, and then left, and several contestants, including Victoria Kjær Theilvig of Denmark, the 2024 Miss Universe, walked out in solidarity. Bosch told reporters on site at the time, "The director's behavior is rude. That person called me an idiot," adding, "The whole world needs to see this. We are powerful women, and this competition is the stage where we raise our voices."
Mexico is in a celebratory mood over Bosch's victory. President Sheinbaum of Mexico said, "I like that Bosch raised her voice against injustice," adding, "The saying that you are prettier when you are quiet is now a thing of the past. Women are more beautiful when they speak and participate."