Former Miss Universe Jamaica Dr. Gabrielle Henry has filed a lawsuit against the Miss Universe Organization and two related companies, nearly a year after she suffered serious injuries in a fall from the stage during the 2025 Miss Universe competition in Thailand.
Henry filed the lawsuit on September 21, 2026, in Delaware Superior Court, according to PEOPLE, bringing five claims against the defendants, including negligence, premises liability, negligent hiring, retention and supervision, and negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The defendants named in the lawsuit are Miss Universe Organization, JKN Legacy Inc. and Legacy Holding Group USA.
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The lawsuit stems from an incident on November 19, 2025, during the preliminary competition. Henry alleges that she was following rehearsed choreography when she fell approximately five feet through what she describes as an “unmarked and uncovered opening” in the stage. According to the complaint, the opening contained lighting equipment and concrete, while intense lighting directed toward her impaired her ability to see the stage.
Henry alleges that she lost consciousness after the fall and suffered a traumatic brain injury, including an acute subarachnoid haemorrhage, frontal lobe haemorrhagic contusion and subdural haemorrhage. She was hospitalised in Thailand from November 19 to December 10, 2025. Earlier statements from her family and the Miss Universe Organization also confirmed that she suffered an intracranial haemorrhage, loss of consciousness, a fracture and facial lacerations.
Henry, who was practising as an ophthalmologist at the time, alleges that her injuries prevented her from returning to her medical residency and have left her with continuing neurological and cognitive symptoms requiring medical care, rehabilitation and follow-up. She is seeking damages related to her medical treatment, rehabilitation, emotional distress, loss of earning capacity and professional opportunities.
The complaint further alleges that other contestants had raised concerns about lighting and staging conditions before the incident. Henry also claims that the stage was modified after her fall, including the addition of bright white lights along its edges. The lawsuit names Miss Grand International (MGI) as the local host and event producer and alleges that MGI was responsible for staging, lighting and safety, while also asserting that the Miss Universe Organization retained and exercised control over those areas.
The Miss Universe Organization, however, told PEOPLE that it had not been served with or received the lawsuit, a claim, demand letter or subpoena from Henry or anyone acting on her behalf and therefore could not comment on allegations it had not seen. The organization said MGI and Miss Universe Thailand, under the direction of Nawat Itsaragrisil, were responsible for producing the 74th Miss Universe competition, including the venue, stage and on-site safety.
The organization also said it paid Henry’s hospital expenses following the accident and later covered treatment at a specialised hospital in Jamaica. It said it had offered Henry a position as a goodwill ambassador but had not received a response. MGI previously disputed suggestions that stage conditions were responsible for the fall, saying Henry may have missed her blocking and may not have been looking at the runway, while denying that anyone from the organization blamed her.
Henry’s lawsuit comes nearly one year after the incident, which prompted widespread attention in Jamaica and internationally. She returned to Jamaica on December 11, 2025, on a medically escorted flight arranged by the hospital, according to a statement from her family and the Miss Universe Organization. The lawsuit represents a new legal chapter in the aftermath of the accident, but the allegations have not been adjudicated.
