Miss Universe’s co-owner says ‘trans and divorced girls’ can’t win

Miss Universe’s transgender co-owner has been caught saying ‘trans women, married women, and divorced women’ can compete in the beauty pageant but cannot win, in a bombshell leaked video.

Anne Jakapong Jakrajutatip was heard in the footage from a board meeting last November making bold statements about how diversity improves the competitions image, but ultimately women from nontraditional backgrounds will not be successful at the end.

The video, presented to Vox by by Rodrigo Goytortua Ortega, the former CEO of Miss Universe Mexico, heard Jakrajutatip further explaining: ‘The trans women, the women with husbands, divorced women… This is a communication strategy, because, you understand… they can compete but they cannot win. We just put the policy out there. Social inclusion, as people would say’.

The footage goes on to capture other board members suggesting the start up of a ‘Miss Universe Model Agency’ where the organization can host casting for models ‘of all different colors, sizes, whatever,’ to which Jakrajutatip agreed with.

However, she later agreed with the suggestion of another meeting member who cautioned that the audience would have to then be controlled, in case ‘they vote all for the big size’.

The Miss Universe organization had its first transgender contestant, Miss Spain Angela Ponce, in 2018.

The 2023 lineup of contestants then saw the first appearance of married women, Miss Guatemala Michelle Cohn and Miss Camila Avella. 

Miss Nepal Jane Dipika Garrett was the first plus-size contestant to grace the stage during the 72nd Miss Universe competition.

A version of the leaked footage was circulated in Asian and Latin American media in February, but was not widely available in the US, and sparked a response on Facebook from Jakrajutatip in the same month.

She claimed her words were taken out of context, adding: ‘The malicious edited video was out of context and used to manipulate other people which led to the public confusion, misunderstanding, misinterpretation and wrong conclusion. 

‘I’m a trans woman and a mother myself who all my life fight for the gender equality rights to be where I am’.

Miss Universe also sent USA Today a statement in February stating the organization has worked ‘tirelessly to promote inclusion’.

‘In light of recent misinformation and attempts to smear the Miss Universe Organization, we reaffirm our unwavering commitment to the core values we have diligently defended over the years,’ the statement read. 

‘The Miss Universe Organization has worked tirelessly to promote inclusion, transparency, and integrity, and we will not be swayed by unfounded allegations. 

‘We have been informed of malicious attempts by certain individuals to tarnish the reputation of our organization by spreading false accusations.’ 

But Jakrajutatip’s comments from the bombshell footage carry extra weight given the recent controversies around the Miss Universe Organization following the double resignation of two pageant queens last month.

In May, Miss USA 2024 Noelia Voigt and Miss Teen USA 2024 UmaSofia Srivastava, both resigned within days of each other.

Voigt, 24, shared her shock resignation on Instagram, explaining that she wanted to focus on her ‘physical and mental well-being’.

Then just two days later, 17-year-old Srivastava said she too was stepping down because her personal values ‘no longer fully align with the direction of the organization.’ 

The back-to-back resignations sent shockwaves throughout the pageant community, with eagle-eyed fans spotting a ‘code’ in Noelia’s statement after the first letter of each sentence spelled out: ‘I AM SILENCED’.

Within her shocking statement, Noelia cited a ‘toxic work environment’ with ‘poor management’ as the reason for her departure.

The Miss Universe Organization is the parent company of the Miss USA Organization, and their pageants are sisters.

The winner of the Miss USA qualifies to compete in the Miss Universe competition a few months into her reign.

Officially, Miss Universe claims it is ‘The Greatest Celebration of All Women’.

‘The Miss Universe Organization (MUO) is a global, inclusive organization that celebrates all cultures, backgrounds and religions,’ the organization says.

‘We create and provide a safe space for women to share their stories and drive impact personally, professionally, and philanthropically.’

But for several years, contestants have come forward to share their experiences which contradict Miss Universe’s inclusive mission statement.

Back in 1957, Mary Leona Gage, from Texas, was crowned as Miss USA – but later had her title revoked after officials found out she was secretly married and had two children.

Miss Universe 1996 Alicia Machado, from Venezuela, was reportedly told by officials that she was going to be replaced if she didn’t lose weight.

At the time, Donald Trump – who became a co-owner of the pageants that year – even called her ‘an eating machine’ and ‘Miss Piggy’ on Howard Stern’s radio show. 

Siera Bearchell, who represented Canada at Miss Universe in 2017, told Elle that she was ‘told she had to lose’ a certain amount of weight ‘to have potential to win the competition,’ which resulted in her ‘restricting her eating’ in the lead up.

‘I was never happy with what I looked like or what I was being told to do,’ she said. ‘I was instructed to eat as little as possible… I couldn’t even workout to the level I would because I literally had no fuel for my body.

‘Some days I would have a single protein bar – half in the morning and half later on and do hours of workouts. I was told, “If you want to be successful, this is what you have to do.”‘

Plus, following her win in 2021, Miss USA Elle Smith begged the organization to showcase ‘all body types.’

‘At Miss USA, we have been so inclusive to different ethnicities and different races, but more or less, we all look very similar,’ she told Insider.

‘I think, if we want to be representative of women as a whole, then we’ve got to be more inclusive to all body types.’

But being crowned as the winner comes with immense pressure, which tragically led to one woman taking her own life.

Miss USA 2019 Cheslie Kryst jumped to her death from the 29th floor of her apartment building in New York City in January 2022 at age 30 – only three years after she became the oldest woman to ever earn the Miss USA title.

MailOnline have reached out to the Miss Universe Organization for comment.