Denise White (center), MUO co-owner Anne Jakrajutatip (left) and former MUO Pres. Paula Shugart/ANNE JAKRAJUTATIP FACEBOOK PHOTO, MISS UNIVERSE FACEBOOK PHOTO, PAULASHUGART.COM PHOTO

A former judge at the Miss Universe 2023 pageant alleged that its Thai owner Anne Jakrajutatip had tried to rig the competition in favor of her country’s candidate, eventually resulting in the resignation of Paula Shugart as president of the international pageant organization.

Denise White is a sports crisis strategist credited for paving the way for women to enter male-dominated sports. In 2023, she was chosen as one of the judges of the Miss Universe pageant which crowned Sheynnis Palacios of Nicaragua as titleholder in the competition held in El Salvador. 

In a post on the Instagram page of Road to Miss USA last Feb. 22, White recalled the time when Shugart stepped down in 2023 because Jakrajutatip “had been pressuring Paula saying, ‘no matter what, Thailand must make top 5.’”

“Paula [Shugart] kept telling Anne that MUO can have a say in who makes it out of prelims but has no say in what the judges do at the finals. Anne kept insisting she could do something, part of the reason Paula left (although there are other reasons which might come out someday) she kept telling Anne that she refused to be a part of any of those scenarios where something would not be fair or ethical,” shared White, 1994 Miss Oregon USA and now a public relations practitioner handling high-profile athletes and celebrities.

Thailand’s Anntonia Porsild, former Miss Supranational titleholder, finished second, while the Philippines’ Michelle Dee only made it to the Top 10.

White, however, clarified that even though Porsild advanced to the final round of the competition, their judging was never compromised, and the members of the selection committee carried out their duty fairly.

“Thailand was never brought up to us. Paula was above board and made sure we were all going by the rules. I respected it so much,” White explained.

White said she already knew that Shugart would step down from her post at the time.

She also shared that Jakrajutatip screamed in anger at then-MUO CEO Amy Emmerich before the post-coronation press conference because Porsild did not win.

“Paula felt compelled to resign, unable to associate her name with something that conflicted with her ethics and values. I supported her decision and encouraged her to make a public resignation at Miss Universe, highlighting her principles,” White said.

Shugart delivered a valedictory speech during the coronation show in El Salvador, enumerating her “legacy” in the organization, embracing inclusivity by allowing trans women to participate as early as 2012, for married women and mothers to participate starting in 2022, and for lifting the maximum age limit in 2023.

Jakrajutip, who owns Thai conglomerate JKN Global Group, purchased MUO from IMG in 2022, a decade since the first trans woman was allowed to take part in a Miss Universe affiliate competition.

In 2024, the Thai business leader sold half of the organization, and shared co-ownership with the Legacy Holdings Group headed by Mexican magnate Raul Rocha. Their first full collaborative edition was the most recent staging in Mexico, which was profusely panned online for the lack of activities and the lackluster coronation show.

White also shared her bout with MUO’s handling of the Miss USA pageant under Laylah Rose, to whom Jakrajutatip awarded the international contest’s franchise in the United States.

Under Rose’s watch, Miss USA Noelia Voight and Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava both abdicated their respective titles, after reports of abuse from the national pageant organization.

White, who assisted both Voight and Srivastava during the incident, said, “[t]hroughout this turmoil, Miss Universe remained inactive, failing to hold Laylah accountable.”

She continued: “If Miss Universe does not address these issues and remove Laylah, the cycle will continue. The responsibility lies with Miss Universe and its leadership, who have failed to act. I urge everyone to write to Raul and Anne, emphasizing that this IS a Miss Universe problem that needs immediate attention.”

White said Shugart’s departure from MUO was “a significant loss” for the international pageant organization “in which they just may never recover.”