Miss Universe 2025 Fatima Bosch denies her win was rigged

Miss Universe 2025 Fátima Bosch is defending her life-changing win.

The 27-year-old Miss Mexico addressed the drama that’s unfolded since her Nov. 21 coronation, including claims that the competition was rigged in her favor, during Tuesday’s preview of her upcoming interview with “Nightline” anchor JuJu Chang.

“They make this campaign of hate,” she said.

Bosch specifically responded to former judge Omar Harfouch’s accusation that Bosch’s win was “fake” and that her father, an executive at the Mexican state-owned oil company Pemex, has business ties to Miss Universe owner Raúl Rocha.

“My father has nothing to do with the organization and it’s crazy,” Bosch insisted. “How are you going to buy a crown? Maybe in Walmart you can buy a crown, yeah. But not in Miss Universe for sure.”

Before her win, Bosch got into a viral confrontation with Nawat Itsaragrisil, an executive director of Miss Universe Organization, and led a walkout involving dozens of other contestants.

“I was scared at that time,” Bosch told Chang, admitted that she thought speaking out would cost her the crown. “I couldn’t stay quiet because in every case, your dignity is more important than any price or any dream that you have.”

But Bosch rejected the argument that her brave moment led to her being handed the win.

“But I feel like I made history, so why not?” she said. “I make the same effort that all the pageant [participants] make. And this is a joke. But I feel like I made history, so why not?”

Bosch also shut down the claims that she’s considering giving up her title.

“Of course not,” she declared. “I will never step away from this crown. I’m not here for fame or modeling or searching for a husband. I’m here because God put a purpose on my heart. I have a mission and I will do that all the years, to serve others, to help.”

Weeks before she was crowned Miss Universe, Bosch was berated by Itsaragrisil, who called her a “dummy” in front of the crowd. Bosch stood up for herself, telling Itsaragrisil, “You are not respecting me as a woman,” before she led the viral walkout.

Itsaragrisil was dismissed from his duties at the pageant after the altercation.

But the controversy involving Bosch only continued after her win, when Harfouch — who resigned from his position on the Miss Universe voting jury before the ceremony, claiming the Top 30 list had been chosen in secret long before the judges ever cast a vote — insisted Bosch was “a fake winner.”

Harfouch also told People that Bosch’s family tried to sway his vote.

However, the Miss Universe Organization denied all of Harfouch’s claims. They stated that “all competition evaluations continue to follow the established, transparent, and supervised MUO protocols.”