Thai pageant director sues Miss Universe winner for saying he called her 'dumbhead', claims he said 'damage'

Thai pageant figure Nawat Itsaragrisil, national director of Miss Universe Thailand (MUT), has filed a criminal defamation complaint against newly crowned Miss Universe 2025, Mexico’s Fátima Bosch Fernández, escalating a weeks-long dispute that first erupted during a tense exchange at a pageant event in Bangkok, reported Thai and international media.

Legal complaint

MUT shared a four-page police incident report on its Facebook page on Dec. 3, stating that Nawat had personally gone to Wat Phraya Krai Police Station in Bangkok on Nov. 12 to accuse Bosch of making false public statements that had allegedly harmed his reputation both in Thailand and overseas.

The translated caption from the organisation reads:

“Mr. Nawat Itsaragrisil has formally filed a criminal complaint against Ms. Fatima Bosch Fernandez in Thailand on Nov. 12, 2025. If any further defamatory actions are discovered, additional legal action will be taken to the fullest extent of the law.”

It also warns that media outlets deemed “complicit” may also face legal consequences from MUT.

Incident stems from “dumbhead” vs “damage” dispute

The legal complaint centres on a confrontation that took place on Nov. 4 during a Miss Universe sashing ceremony, in which Nawat and Bosch reportedly clashed over her refusal to promote Thailand as the host country on her social media and participate in a sponsored shoot, going on to allege that the director of Miss Universe Mexico had ordered her to do so.

Bosch told the media afterwards that Nawat had reportedly called her “dumbhead”, a claim that spread quickly across international pageant communities.

However, Nawat has insisted that he never used the word, stating instead that he said “damage” not “dumbhead”, referring to the consequences of Bosch following the order from her national director too closely.

The legal statement released by MUT on their Facebook continues to affirm that the incident stemmed from a misunderstanding:

“We wish to reaffirm that Mr Nawat Itsaragrisil never called Ms Fátima Bosch a ‘dumbhead’. What he said was ‘damage,’ which is clearly audible in the voice recordings that have already been widely circulated across various platforms.”

The statement further claims Bosch “immediately made a false accusation in front of the media” and refused to apologise, allegedly “for personal gain and to justify herself during the competition”.

Bosch: "No one can silence our voice"

Bosch, who walked out of the room during the confrontation and was accompanied by several contestants who witnessed the incident, including the reigning queen Victoria Theilvig, told reporters:

“What your director did is disrespectful. He called me brainless because he has issues with the organisation, and I don’t think that’s fair.”

Emphasising that she was standing up for women in the competition, the 25-year-old declared, according to US Weekly:

“We are empowered women and this is a platform for our voice. No one can silence our voice.”

Nawat removed from the pageant

Following the fallout, Nawat was removed from his on-site role at Miss Universe 2025.

He noted that he had apologised to Bosch for losing his composure, which he attributed to what he viewed as her repeated provocations and failure to honour her commitments.

“What I cannot accept is being accused of something I didn’t say,” he said, according to Khaosod English. “That is why the legal team reviewed the matter and decided to proceed.”

Describing Bosch’s allegation as a calculated falsehood, Nawat argued that public figures must act responsibly:

“If you have a voice, you must also have respect. If you lie and defame others, that is not empowerment — it is a crime.”

He further underlined that the complaint bears no relation to Bosch’s crown.

“No one is trying to dethrone her,” he emphasised. “She holds the highest position in the organisation. But she should reflect on what she said. Defamation is a criminal offence.”

A turbulent coronation year for Miss Universe

Bosch went on to win the Miss Universe title despite the swirl of controversies, including persistent allegations online that the competition was rigged to benefit alleged business ties between her father and the pageant organisation’s president Rocha, claims she has firmly rejected.

“Everything is a lie,” she said after winning, as cited by US Weekly. “I won.”

As of publication, Bosch has not yet publicly responded to Nawat’s criminal complaint.

Top image via missuniversethailand/Instagram