Ms. Paula Shugart announced her resignation as president of the Miss Universe organization immediately after the contestants completed the national costume performance on November 17.
At the national costume show within the framework of Miss Universe 2023 taking place on November 17 (Vietnam time), Ms. Paula Shugart suddenly appeared on stage and announced her resignation as president of Miss Universe Organization (MUO). The “female general” of the most prestigious beauty pageant on the planet said that the 72nd Miss Universe is the last competition season she accompanies the organization and the upcoming final night will be the last program run by her.
“This decision has been made by me over many months and is not related to recent events. I have stayed until now because of my belief in El Salvador and my love for the Miss Universe brand,” she said. Shugart shared and indirectly affirmed that his departure was not related to the company that owns the contest filing for bankruptcy. On stage, Ms. Paula Shugart recalled her journey leading Miss Unievrse more than 20 years ago, experiencing ups and downs and achieving proud achievements. She also spent emotional words when mentioning the past journey, the people she met and inspired her.
Ms. Paula Shugart next to R’Bonney Gabriel (Miss Universe 2022) and Miss Universe boss – businessman Anne Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip
After the surprising announcement on the Miss Universe 2023 stage, Ms. Paula Shugart re-uploaded the video of the above speech on her personal page and sent the message: “Goodbye! Thank you for the most wonderful adventure.” that anyone would wish for. It’s been an honor to lead this franchise as president, through the ups and downs of the past 20+ years. Thank you to our fans, country directors, and everyone in charge. holds the wonderful title that I have been lucky enough to meet all these years. You are the ones who make Miss Universe great. I love you all. And to avoid rumors… I’m sure I definitely won’t retire. I’ll see you all again soon.”
Below the comments section, many queens have been with Ms. Shugart: Pia Wurtzbach (Miss Universe 2015), Catriona Gray (Miss Universe 2018), Zozibini Tunzi (Miss Universe 2019), Andrea Meza (Miss Universe 2020), Harnaaz Sandhu (Miss Universe 2021)… expressed regret at this decision and gave her words of gratitude and emotional messages.
Ms. Paula Shugart’s decision was made just one year after the Miss Universe contest returned to its new owner
The reason Ms. Paula Shugart left her chair as president of the Miss Universe organization also became a hotly discussed topic among pageant fans. Many opinions say that Ms. Shugart could not find common ground with Ms. Anne Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip (executive of JKN Global Group) – owner of the contest. Since acquiring Miss Universe last year, this Thai businessman has made a series of changes to the contest, including changing the copyright holder of the national Miss Universe contest and causing controversy. Unnecessary disturbance and noise. For example, the Miss Universe Indonesia 2023 contest organized by the new copyright holder was entangled in a contestant sexual harassment scandal, causing MUO to end its cooperation.
Paula Shugart is a powerful name leading Miss Universe for more than 2 decades
Ms. Paula Shugart is one of the most powerful women in the international beauty queen world, leading Miss Universe for more than 20 years, strengthening the contest’s position: the most prestigious beauty arena on the planet. According to VarietyMs. Shugart joined MUO in 1998 as vice president of production then was appointed president in 2001. This “female general” is in charge of supervising the business activities of the organization and also organizing annual Miss Universe contest and participate in activities within the MUO framework.
During her time in power, she also contributed to helping Miss Universe become a comprehensive competition, becoming more and more open to women. In 2012, this contest under the leadership of Paula Shugart began allowing transgender people to participate. Last year, this beauty arena officially opened to welcome contestants who were married or had children. During her time running MUO, she visited Vietnam many times to participate in a number of activities within the framework of the Miss Universe organization, most recently attending the Miss Universe Vietnam 2022 finals.
