Miss Universe controversy deepens as judge dramatically RESIGNS: ‘I won’t be a part of this charade’
A Miss Universe judge has dramatically resigned from her position just days before the coveted competition, saying the event was a ‘charade’.
Lebanese composer and musician Omar Harfouch announced that he was resigning from the Miss Universe jury panel three days before the competition.
He claimed his decision was due to the fact that an “unprepared jury” with “significant potential conflict of interest due to some personal relationships with some of the Miss Universe contestants” had been assembled to secretly select the pageant’s 30 finalists.
Harfouch said the alleged conflict of interest involved the person ‘responsible for counting the votes, counting the votes and administering the results.’
Apparently, after a ‘disrespectful conversation’ with Miss Universe owner Raul Rocha, she decided to resign and ‘refuse to be a part of this charade’.
Harfouch accused the pageant of lacking transparency in the Miss Universe voting process.
The pianist added: ‘And I will not be playing the music I composed for the event.’
Omar Harfouch announced Tuesday that he will resign from the Miss Universe judging panel
Harfouch said an “impromptu jury” with “potential conflict of interest due to some personal relationships” with the contestants was assembled to secretly select the contest’s 30 finalists.
While announcing his resignation on Instagram, Harfouch claimed that he discovered the ‘unprepared jury’ through social media.
At the Miss Universe pageant on Monday sent this year’s ‘Beyond the Crown’ selection committee consisted of eight ‘distinguished leaders and innovators’ and did not include Harfouch.
Harfouch ripped up the competition list for not specifying the ‘role played by these individuals’ and supposedly creating further confusion about this year’s competition.
He accused the organization of not including ‘any of the actual eight members of the jury’, including himself.
Miss Universe contest in question Harfouch had ‘falsely alleged’ that an unauthorized committee had been established and that official judges were excluded from the process of selecting the finalists.
An official statement released on Tuesday said: ‘Given Mr Harfuch’s condition [sic] Expressing confusion, her public mischaracterization of the program, and her desire not to participate, the Miss Universe Organization respectfully acknowledges her withdrawal from the official judging panel.’
The pageant added that Harfouch was banned ‘effective immediately’ from ‘using, displaying, referencing or associating’ with the Miss Universe brand.
Lebanese composer says he resigned after ‘disrespectful conversation’ with Miss Universe owner Raúl Rocha
Harfouch accused the Miss Universe organization of lacking transparency in the voting process, which the pageant denied
The organization said the ‘Beyond the Crown’ committee was an ‘independent social impact initiative’ separate from the official judging of the Miss Universe pageant.
Their statement added: ‘The Miss Universe Organization reiterates that all judging procedures for the 74th Miss Universe competition are official, transparent and fully governed by MUO protocols.’
But Harfouch’s claims were ‘heartbreaking’ for an anonymous Miss Universe contestant. PEOPLE.
He accused the organization of selecting the top 30 ‘without official judges’ and ‘before competing on stage’.
“We thank Omar Harfouch for standing up for integrity when the organization did not,” he told the press.
‘She showed the same leadership that Miss Universe claimed to celebrate.’
The Daily Mail has reached out to Harfouch and the Miss Universe organization for further comment.
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