MEXICO CITY (ChatnewsTV) — Italy Mora, the contestant representing Panama in the Miss Universe pageant, has been disqualified just hours before the competition’s grand finale, set to take place in Mexico on Saturday, November 16, 2024.
While the official reason for Mora’s dismissal has not been revealed, reports from the New York Post suggest that the decision came after an unauthorized visit to her boyfriend Juan Abadia’s hotel room in Mexico.
However, Mora has denied these allegations, attributing her expulsion to a heated confrontation with the director of Miss Universe Panama, Cesar Anel Rodriguez, regarding what she described as poor event organization.
“I was not expelled for sneaking into my boyfriend’s room,” Mora stated. “The truth is, I had a serious disagreement with Cesar Anel Rodriguez over the way the event was being managed.”
According to Mora, her boyfriend was present during the dispute, which escalated when he pointed out that he had covered several of her expenses, including the purchase of a $7,000 Carolina Herrera dress, due to the pageant’s lack of financial support.
Mora’s disqualification reportedly followed an incident in which a pageant staff member found her with her boyfriend, leading to allegations of the unauthorized visit to his hotel room.
The Miss Universe organization has not yet commented on the disqualification or clarified the reasons behind the decision. The grand finale will proceed as scheduled, with contestants from around the world vying for the crown.