Miss Universe Organization says 6 countries barred from 75th competition amid franchise dispute

<p>The Miss Universe Organization (MUO) said contestants representing six countries will not be eligible to participate in the 75th Miss Universe Competition due to a dispute over their national franchise arrangements.</p><p>On Instagram, MUO said it does not recognize the franchise and license agreements purportedly entered into by Miss Universe Eastern Pte. Ltd. and entities associated with Nawat Itsaragrisil, saying these arrangements were made without a valid licensing framework.</p><p>The six affected countries are:</p><ul> <li>Thailand - purported franchise term of 2025 - 2029</li> <li>Indonesia - purported arrangement for 2026</li> <li>Vietnam - 2026</li> <li>Laos - 2026</li> <li>Malaysia - 2026</li> <li>Singapore - 2026</li></ul><p>JKN Universe LLC said the entities involved did not have a Franchise License Agreement or other legal licensing instrument with JKN Universe LLC, which it identified as the legal holder of the rights to license the Miss Universe brand.</p><p>"Miss Universe Eastern Pte. Ltd.