An arrest warrant has been issued for Jakkaphong ‘Anne’ Jakrajutatip, co-owner of the Miss Universe Organization, following her failure to appear in court for a fraud case. The Bangkok South District Court has labeled her a flight risk and rescheduled the hearing for December 26. Jakrajutatip is accused of defrauding an investor in 2023, with her company, JKN Global Group, allegedly misrepresenting its financial health during a corporate-bond deal. This misrepresentation is claimed to have cost the investor roughly $930,000, with JKN ceasing to make investor payments in 2023, effectively erasing the value of the bonds. The financial trouble faced by JKN has resulted in severe obligations totaling about $93 million.
Jakkaphong, a well-known Thai celebrity, reality-show star, and openly transgender woman, resigned from all company positions in June after being accused by Thailand’s SEC of falsifying 2023 financial statements. Despite this, she remains the largest shareholder of JKN. Her whereabouts remain unknown, and she did not participate in the 74th Miss Universe competition, which took place in Bangkok earlier this month. JKN denied rumors regarding the liquidation of its assets and fleeing the country. This year’s Miss Universe pageant has been plagued with a series of embarrassing incidents, including public reprimands of Mexico’s Fátima Bosch Fernández, who ultimately won the 2025 crown, as well as the withdrawal of two judges, with one hinting that the scoring wasn’t entirely above board. Thai authorities have also begun an investigation into whether the event’s promotional materials illegally advertised online gambling.
The chaos deepened when Jamaica’s contestant, Gabrielle Henry, fell off the stage during the preliminary evening gown round. President Donald Trump once owned the Miss Universe Organization, controlling it from 1996 until 2015 when he sold it to talent agency giant IMG after NBC severed ties with him during the early stages of his presidential campaign. Trump’s sale in 2015 was followed by IMG Worldwide LLC selling the organization to Jakrajutatip in 2022. The Associated Press contributed to this report.