Thai court issues arrest warrant for Miss Universe Co-Owner over alleged $930,000 fraud

A Thai court has issued an arrest warrant for Anne Jakapong Jakrajutatip, the media mogul whose JKN Global Group co-owns the Miss Universe beauty pageant, after she failed to appear for a verdict in a fraud case involving 30 million baht (approximately $930,000).

A South Bangkok Civil Court official confirmed to AFP on Wednesday that the warrant was approved after a plastic surgeon accused Jakapong of deceiving him into investing in JKN in 2023 while allegedly concealing the company’s financial difficulties.

According to the court statement as reported NDTV, Jakapong solicited the investment “knowing her inability to return the money within the appointed time.”

The court said her absence on Tuesday — the scheduled date for the verdict — could be interpreted as an attempt to flee, prompting the warrant.

The verdict has been moved to December 26. Local media outlets have reported that Jakapong may have already travelled to Mexico amid growing rumours of financial trouble.

Read more: Zambia misses final stage, as Mexico’s Bosch crowned Miss Universe 2025 in dramatic, controversy-filled finale

The Miss Universe Organization distanced itself from the case earlier this year, stressing that the legal proceedings are “entirely separate” from its operations.

The arrest warrant follows a turbulent week for the Miss Universe brand.

This year’s competition, which concluded in Bangkok on Friday, was overshadowed by controversy after a public confrontation between one of the hosts and the eventual winner, Miss Mexico Fatima Bosch.

During a livestreamed segment, the male host accused Bosch of failing to post promotional content and allegedly called her “dumb,” sparking a contestant walk-out led by Bosch.

He later issued an emotional public apology, but the incident drew international attention — including from Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who commended Bosch for speaking out.

The 2025 edition of the pageant wrapped up just days before the latest legal blow to its co-owner, deepening the sense of crisis surrounding one of the world’s most recognisable beauty competitions.

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