Gabrielle Henry has filed a lawsuit against the Miss Universe Organization and its parent companies over the traumatic brain injury she suffered during the 2025 pageant in Thailand.
Henry, who represented Jamaica in the competition, brought the suit on September 21 in Delaware Superior Court against Miss Universe Organization, JKN Legacy Inc., and Legacy Holding Group USA. The filing names five claims: negligence, premises liability, negligent hiring, retention and supervision, and both negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
According to the suit, Henry was performing the rehearsed choreography during the preliminary evening gown round on November 19, when she fell through what she described as an “unmarked and uncovered opening in the stage.” The fall, approximately five feet, also involved intense stage lighting that she alleges impaired her vision. Other contestants had raised concerns about the lighting and staging conditions as well, the filing states.
Henry lost consciousness and sustained what the suit describes as a “traumatic brain injury with acute subarachnoid hemorrhage, frontal lobe hemorrhagic contusion, and subdural hemorrhage.” She was transported to Paolo Rangsit Hospital in Thailand and remained in intensive care for several days. At the time of the competition, Henry was a practicing ophthalmologist, and she has reportedly been unable to resume her residency since the accident.
The suit further contends that media coverage of the incident “has caused, and continues to cause, severe emotional distress distinct from, and in addition to, the distress arising from her physical injuries.”
Miss Universe Organization responded in a statement on September 23, saying it had not been served with any legal documents. “To date, the Organization has not been served with, nor has it received, any lawsuit, claim, demand letter, or subpoena from Ms. Henry or anyone acting on her behalf. We are therefore not in a position to comment on claims we have not seen,” the statement read.
The Organization placed responsibility elsewhere, adding: “Responsibility for the production of the 74th Miss Universe competition in Thailand, including the venue, the stage, and on-site safety, rested with the host and production entities, MGI and Miss Universe Thailand, under the direction of Mr. Nawat Itsaragrisil.”
The statement continued: “When those parties failed to cover Ms. Henry’s hospital expenses and left her unattended, the Miss Universe Organization stepped in and paid them, despite having no obligation to do so.”
The Organization also noted it covered Henry’s treatment at a specialized hospital in Jamaica after she returned home, and said it had not received any request for additional medical expenses. Beyond that, it offered Henry a position as a goodwill ambassador on the Miss Universe team, which it said had gone unanswered.
Footage of the incident circulated widely online, showing Henry in an orange evening gown gliding down the stage before falling through the opening and being removed on a stretcher. The preliminary competition was held in Bangkok as part of the buildup to the 74th Miss Universe pageant.
Henry’s sister had previously provided updates on her condition as she recovered from the injuries. The lawsuit marks a significant escalation in Henry’s pursuit of accountability for the incident, shifting from private medical recovery to public legal action against the pageant’s corporate entities.
The case now sits in Delaware Superior Court as both sides appear poised for a dispute over where ultimate responsibility lies for the stage conditions that led to Henry’s fall.