Miss Universe Contestant Booted From Competition Over ‘Personal’ Scandal

A Miss Universe contestant has been booted from the competition after she met up with her boyfriend in a hotel room for an unauthorized visit.

Italy Mora, the 19-year-old delegate from Panama, was dismissed last week from the competition for a “personal error” after an “exhaustive evaluation by our disciplinary commission,” Miss Universe organizers told the New York Post.

She was also stripped of her Miss Panama title.

Pageant officials didn’t provide further details about her removal from the Nov. 16 contest, but Mora said it came after she was caught meeting up with her boyfriend in his hotel room.

Speaking with La Mordida, Mora sought to clear her name. “There’s a lot of speculation that needs to be cleared up because it’s impacting my reputation, and emotionally, it’s been difficult,” she said.

She told La Mordida that her boyfriend, Juan Abadía, funded all the costs associated with the pageant— including a $7,000 Carolina Herrera dress, the hotel room in Mexico City and her makeup. Mora said Abadía’s financial contribution caused tension with Miss Universe Panama Director César Anel Rodríguez, who couldn’t afford the cost.

Mora alleged that Rodríguez coordinated the meet-up with her boyfriend in the hotel room, and that he was there as well— before he left after an argument about preparations. She claimed that 20 minutes after Rodríguez left, pageant staff found her and Abadía alone in the room together.

“They have every right to make thousands of speculations, because there were only the two of us and he couldn’t be there. What people don’t know is that César stayed in that room,” she said.

Mora said she thought that she’d get a warning, but instead was disqualified entirely from the pageant. Panama declined to send a new delegate.

“Miss Universe just followed their rules,” she said. “I take responsibility for my actions and accept the consequences.”