Miss Mexico is breaking her silence after a heated exchange between her and a Miss Universe pageant executive that led several fellow contestants to walk out in protest.
The exchange, captured on a livestream Nov. 4, saw Nawat Itsaragrisil, an executive director of the Miss Universe Organization, verbally attack Miss Mexico’s Fátima Bosch and call her a “dummy” after accusing her of not participating in a social media photo shoot.
“Mexico, where are you?” Itsaragrisil asked the crowd as Bosch stood up from her seat. “I heard you’re not going to support everything about Thailand, is that true?
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“If you follow the order from your national director, you’re a dummy.”
When Bosch attempted to respond, Itsaragrisil said, “I didn’t give you an opportunity to talk. Why do you stand up to talk to me?”
“Because I have a voice,” she said. “You are not respecting me as a woman.”
At that point, Itsaragrisil called for security, which prompted pageant contestants to protest and walk out of the conference room.
Bosch later addressed the media in a video shared by pageantry_com and tgpc_official on Instagram.
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“Your director is not respectful,” she said in the interview. “He called me dumb.
“I think that’s not fair because I am here. I do everything OK. I don’t mess with anyone. I just try to be kind,” Bosch continued. “I think that the world needs to see this because we are empowered women, and this is a platform for our voice.”
In a statement to Fox News Digital, a representative for the Miss Universe communications department said the organization remains “committed to upholding the values of empowerment.”
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“Miss Universe is, above all, a platform that amplifies women’s voices with respect and pride,” Miguel Ángel Martínez said. “We are working closely with our leadership team to ensure a safe, professional and uplifting experience for all delegates as they continue their journey toward the 74th Miss Universe crown. Together with our global supporters, we remain committed to upholding the values of empowerment, inclusion and cultural celebration that define the Miss Universe legacy.”
A day after the incident, Itsaragrisil broke down in tears while apologizing for his actions.
“I am human. I didn’t want to do anything like that,” he told the press, per USA Today.
Later the same day, during a pageant welcome event, Itsaragrisil addressed a crowd of onlookers and apologized to the Miss Universe contestants.
“I had not [intended] to harm anyone because I respect all of you,” he said, per People magazine. “I am so sorry it happened. First, I have to apologize to the delegates. If anyone was affected and not comfortable with what happened, I am so sorry.”
