Miss Universe Jamaica Gabrielle Henry falls off stage, taken out on stretcher

Dubai: A tense moment unfolded at the Miss Universe preliminary competition in Thailand on November 19 when Miss Jamaica 2025, Gabrielle Henry, fell off the stage during the evening gown round and had to be taken away on a stretcher.

Footage shared widely on social media shows Henry making her way across the stage in an orange gown and high heels when she slipped and tumbled off the edge. Later clips captured the contestant being carried out of the venue on a stretcher as staff rushed to assist her.

Miss Universe owner Raul Rocha later addressed the accident on Instagram, telling followers he had just left the hospital where Henry was receiving treatment. “Thankfully, there are no broken bones and she is under good care,” he wrote, noting that he had been with Henry and her family at the time.

The Miss Universe Jamaica organisation also issued a statement confirming the incident.

They said Henry was transported to Paolo Rangsit Hospital, where she underwent evaluation. According to the statement, doctors have ruled out any life-threatening injuries and are continuing tests to support her full recovery.

Before the fall, Henry had posted clips to her Instagram Stories showing her bus ride to the venue and getting glammed up ahead of the swimsuit, national costume, and evening gown segments of the preliminary event.

The night saw another mishap when Miss Great Britain, Danielle Latimer—dressed as Eliza Doolittle from the Oscar-winning My Fair Lady for the national costume round—also slipped onstage.

Latimer later laughed off the incident on Instagram, joking that she hoped the audience “enjoyed my performance.” She added that Miss Jamaica had offered her kind, supportive words backstage.

This year’s Miss Universe competition has been shadowed by controversy. Earlier in November, executive Nawat Itsaragrisil was removed from his post after a livestream featuring Miss Mexico Fatima Bosch went viral and led to contestants reportedly walking out of a meeting with him.

More turbulence followed on November 18 when judge Omar Harfouch resigned, claiming the organisation had already selected 30 finalists before all 136 contestants participated in preliminaries. Two additional judges—Claude Makélélé and Princess Camilla di Borbone delle Due Sicilie, president of the selection committee—have also withdrawn from the pageant.