Representatives from Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Laos will not compete in the 75th Miss Universe pageant, scheduled to take place in Puerto Rico in November, according to an announcement by Nawat Itsaragrisil, founder and president of Miss Grand International and chief executive of MU East.
A representative of the Miss Universe Vietnam organisers confirmed the news to Dantri Newspaper. Quynh Anh, who won the Miss Universe Vietnam title in early October, will therefore not represent the country at this year’s competition.
Quynh Anh will not compete at Miss Universe 2026 (Photo: Organising committee).
A statement from Miss Grand International said the six contestants would retain their national titles and contractual benefits, while continuing to take part in community activities in their home countries.
Speculation about their absence had emerged earlier after their names were missing from the list of 125 contestants published on the Miss Universe Organisation (MUO) website. Vietnam’s withdrawal from the international beauty pageant has disappointed many fans.
The decision comes amid escalating tensions between Nawat, the chief executive of MU East, and Raul Rocha, a shareholder holding a 50 per cent stake in MUO. The dispute centres on licensing rights to stage the competition in different countries, management authority and control of the Miss Universe brand.
MUO has stated that MU East is not an organisation affiliated with, or an authorised representative of, Miss Universe. According to MUO, individuals operating under the MU East name are not authorised to speak, sign agreements or make commitments on behalf of the organisation.
MUO has also said it is pursuing legal procedures to regain control of the pageant’s domain name and social media accounts.
