Dr Gabrielle Henry sues Miss Universe organisation over 2025 fall

Former Miss Universe Jamaica Dr Gabrielle Henry has filed a lawsuit against the Miss Universe Organisation and two of its parent companies, nearly a year after she fell from the pageant stage during the 2025 Miss Universe competition in Thailand. PEOPLE magazine reported that Henry filed the lawsuit on Monday, September 21, in Delaware Superior Court, bringing five claims against the defendants, including negligence, premises liability, negligent hiring, retention and supervision, and negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress. According to the complaint, Henry was following rehearsed choreography during the preliminary competition on November 19, 2025, when she fell about five feet through an “unmarked and uncovered opening in the stage”. The suit alleges that the opening contained lighting equipment and concrete. Henry also alleges that intense lighting directed towards her during her rehearsed walk impaired her visibility and contributed to the fall. According to the lawsuit, Henry lost consciousness upon impact and suffered a traumatic brain injury, including acute subarachnoid haemorrhage, frontal lobe haemorrhagic contusion and subdural haemorrhage. She was hospitalised from November 19 to December 10, 2025. The complaint describes the incident as the “most traumatic moment” of Henry’s life and alleges that the media attention surrounding the fall caused continuing emotional distress in addition to the effects of her physical injuries. READ: Miss Jamaica Universe withdraws from pageant after suffering head injury in fall Henry, who was practising as an ophthalmologist at the time, alleges that her injuries prevented her from resuming her medical residency and have resulted in ongoing neurological and cognitive symptoms requiring continued care, rehabilitation and follow-up. The lawsuit further alleges that other contestants had raised concerns about the lighting and staging conditions. It claims that following Henry’s fall, the stage was modified to add bright white lights along its edge, PEOPLE reported. In a statement to PEOPLE, the Miss Universe Organisation said it had not been served with, nor received, any lawsuit, claim, demand letter or subpoena from Henry or anyone acting on her behalf and therefore could not comment on claims it had not seen. The organisation said the host and production entities, Miss Grand International (MGI) and Miss Universe Thailand, under the direction of Nawat Itsaragrisil, were responsible for producing the 74th Miss Universe competition, including the venue, stage, and on-site safety. It also said it had paid Henry’s hospital expenses after the incident, despite having no obligation to do so, and later covered her treatment at a specialised hospital in Jamaica following her return home. The organisation said it had not received any further request for medical expenses and had also offered Henry a position as a goodwill ambassador on the Miss Universe team. According to the organisation, she had not responded to the offer. Henry’s lawsuit also names MGI, which she alleges was responsible for the staging, lighting and safety arrangements for the event. It further alleges that the Miss Universe Organisation retained and exercised control over those aspects. The complaint alleges that MGI’s failure to oversee stage safety contributed to Henry’s injuries. According to PEOPLE, Henry also alleges that the Miss Universe Organisation failed to maintain a safe stage by leaving an opening unguarded, unmarked and unbarricaded, and by failing to identify what she describes as MGI’s unsafe staging and production practices. The lawsuit comes nearly a year after the incident sparked public speculation about the circumstances surrounding Henry’s fall. At the time, Miss Universe Haiti Melissa Sapini told PEOPLE that following the incident, the remaining contestants were gathered for a meeting where she alleged a staff member appeared to blame Henry for the fall. “I don’t know that they handled that correctly,” Sapini told PEOPLE at the time, adding that the first comment made was that Henry had not been paying attention. The Miss Universe Organisation did not respond to PEOPLE’s requests for comment on Sapini’s claims at the time. In a December 8, 2025 statement, the organisation said it had assumed all related expenses, including accommodation, airline rebooking, transportation and support for Henry’s family. MGI, meanwhile, told PEOPLE at the time that the incident occurred primarily because Henry had missed her blocking and may not have been looking at the runway while walking. However, the organisation said no one from MGI had blamed her. The representative also said the runway was more than five metres wide and had clear, oversized white borders, adding that no other contestant had experienced an accident on the runway. The Miss Universe Organisation has previously rejected suggestions that Henry was responsible for the incident, saying such claims were inaccurate, unfounded and did not reflect the facts.