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Gabrielle Henry, Miss Universe Jamaica in 2025, is suing the organization 10 months after she fell from the stage in Bangkok, Thailand.
Video of Henry from the pageant last November showed the contestant taking part in the preliminary evening gown round. She was looking at the audience when she appeared to trip and tumble off the stage .
In Henry’s lawsuit, filed Monday in Delaware Superior Court, she alleges she was following rehearsed choreography when she fell about five feet through an “unmarked and uncovered opening in the stage,” which contained both lighting equipment and concrete, according to People .
In an interview that aired on Good Morning America on Thursday, Henry told ABC News’ Deborah Roberts: “I have no recollection of the fall. I just know that the bottom of that hole was a concrete base.” Her first memory, she said, was waking up to see her mother standing over her.
She added: “It was the first time I have ever seen my mother look so concerned. As soon as I saw my mom, I blacked out again.”
‘Most traumatic moment’
Henry says in the suit that the impact caused her to lose consciousness and that she suffered “traumatic brain injury with acute subarachnoid hemorrhage, frontal lobe hemorrhagic contusion, and subdural hemorrhage,” which required her to be hospitalized from Nov. 19, 2025 to Dec. 10, 2025 .
Henry described it as the “most traumatic moment” of her life, adding that the intense media coverage her fall drew “caused, and continues to cause, severe emotional distress distinct from, and in addition to, the distress arising from her physical injuries.”
Henry, an ophthalmologist, was also left with injuries that made her “unable to resume her medical residency” at the time and have caused her to continuously suffer “neurological and cognitive symptoms,” which continue to require ongoing care, rehabilitation and follow-ups, according to the complaint.
She also claimed the stage lighting during her rehearsed walk impaired her visibility and contributed to her fall, noting that other contestants complained about the lighting and staging conditions as well.
Following her fall, Henry said the stage was “modified to add bright white lights to illuminate the edging of the stage.”
Miss Jamaica Gabrielle Henry is breaking her silence after a traumatic fall off stage at the Miss Universe pageant and her fight to regain her life. pic.twitter.com/LhcENQuZL3
— Good Morning America (@GMA) September 24, 2026
Miss Universe’s response
The Miss Universe Organization said in a statement to People that it has not been served with or received a lawsuit from Henry.
“Responsibility for the production of the 74th Miss Universe competition in Thailand, including the venue, the stage, and on-site safety, rested with the host and production entities, MGI and Miss Universe Thailand, under the direction of Mr. Nawat Itsaragrisil,” the organization said in a statement to the outlet.
“When those parties failed to cover Ms. Henry’s hospital expenses and left her unattended, the Miss Universe Organization stepped in and paid them, despite having no obligation to do so,” the organization continued.
Miss Universe also noted that following Henry’s return home to Jamaica, it “covered her treatment at a specialized hospital” and “has not received any request or claim for additional medical expenses.”
Henry acknowledged that the organization “was quite present and did provide support while in Thailand,” but argued that changed upon her return to Jamaica.
“I have not had much feedback from them as it pertains to covering my medical expenses, which are still ongoing,” she said in her GMA interview.
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Henry’s suit claims that the Miss Universe Organization and, by extension, the other defendants — including Miss Grand International, which Miss Universe retained as the local host and event producer of the competition — were “wanton, reckless, and in conscious disregard of the safety of Plaintiff and the other contestants.”
She’s bringing five claims against the defendants, including negligence, premises liability, negligent hiring, retention and supervision, and both negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress.