Dr Gabrielle Henry filed a lawsuit in Delaware court alleging negligence and unsafe conditions led to her five-foot fall during the 2025 competition.
Nearly a year after a dramatic fall during the 2025 Miss Universe competition in Thailand, Dr Gabrielle Henry has taken legal action against the pageant’s organisers. According to reporting by PEOPLE magazine, Henry filed her lawsuit on September 21 in Delaware Superior Court, naming the Miss Universe Organisation and two parent companies as defendants and bringing five separate claims including negligence, premises liability, and emotional distress.
The incident occurred on November 19, 2025, during preliminary competition rehearsals. Henry alleges she fell approximately five feet through an unmarked and uncovered opening in the stage while performing choreography she had rehearsed. The opening, according to the complaint, contained lighting equipment and concrete. Henry further contends that intense stage lighting directed at her during the walk impaired her visibility and contributed to the fall.
The medical consequences were severe. Henry lost consciousness upon impact and was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury, including acute subarachnoid haemorrhage, frontal lobe haemorrhagic contusion, and subdural haemorrhage. She remained hospitalised from November 19 through December 10, 2025. The injuries prevented her from resuming her medical residency as an ophthalmologist and have resulted in ongoing neurological and cognitive symptoms requiring continued treatment.
The lawsuit alleges that other contestants had previously raised concerns about the lighting and staging conditions at the venue. Following Henry’s fall, the stage was modified to add bright white lights along its edge, according to PEOPLE. The complaint also names Miss Grand International (MGI), the production entity responsible for the event, alleging it failed to oversee stage safety adequately.
The Miss Universe Organisation responded by stating it had not yet been served with the lawsuit and therefore could not comment on the claims. The organisation noted that MGI and Miss Universe Thailand, under the direction of Nawat Itsaragrisil, held responsibility for producing the competition, including venue and stage safety. The organisation stated it had voluntarily paid Henry’s hospital expenses and covered her subsequent treatment at a specialised hospital in Jamaica, and had offered her a position as a goodwill ambassador, which she did not accept.
MGI disputed aspects of Henry’s account, telling PEOPLE that the incident occurred primarily because Henry had missed her blocking and may not have been looking at the runway. The organisation stated the runway was more than five metres wide with clear, oversized white borders, and that no other contestant had experienced an accident there. However, the Miss Universe Organisation has previously rejected suggestions that Henry bore responsibility for the incident.
The fall occurred during the 74th Miss Universe competition held in Thailand in November 2025. The incident sparked significant public attention and speculation about the circumstances surrounding the accident, with various accounts emerging from contestants and organisers about what led to Henry’s fall and how the situation was handled in its immediate aftermath.
As a Jamaican competitor and medical professional, Dr Henry’s case represents a significant legal challenge to international pageant standards and safety protocols that affect Caribbean participants on the global stage. The lawsuit highlights concerns about duty of care and accountability when Caribbean women compete in major international competitions.
Written & Edited by Orlyn Edwards. Published by Caribbean Air Force Media.
Category: News · Island routing: Jamaica