Gabrielle Henry sues Miss Universe over horror stage fall

Former Miss Universe Jamaica Gabrielle Henry is taking the Miss Universe Organization to court, nearly a year after a terrifying fall through an opening in the stage during the 2025 competition in Thailand left her with serious brain injuries.

According to PEOPLE, Henry filed the lawsuit on Monday, September 21, in Delaware Superior Court, accusing the Miss Universe Organization and two related companies of negligence over the November 19, 2025 incident.

Henry alleges that she was following rehearsed choreography during the preliminary competition when she suddenly plunged about five feet through an “unmarked and uncovered opening” in the stage.

According to the lawsuit, the opening contained lighting equipment and concrete, while intense lighting directed at her impaired her ability to see the stage properly.

Henry alleges that she lost consciousness after the fall and suffered a traumatic brain injury, including bleeding in and around the brain.

She was hospitalised from November 19 to December 10, 2025.

The former beauty queen, who was practising as an ophthalmologist at the time, claims the injuries prevented her from returning to her medical residency and have continued to affect her neurologically and cognitively.

She is seeking damages for medical treatment, rehabilitation, emotional distress, loss of earning capacity and professional opportunities.

Henry is also alleging that other contestants had raised concerns about the lighting and staging conditions before her fall. She further claims that the stage was modified after the incident with bright white lights placed around its edges.

The lawsuit names the Miss Universe Organization, JKN Legacy Inc. and Legacy Holding Group USA as defendants.

The Miss Universe Organization, however, told PEOPLE that it had not been served with the lawsuit and therefore could not comment on allegations it had not seen.

The organisation said responsibility for the production, venue, stage and on-site safety rested with Miss Grand International and Miss Universe Thailand, under the direction of Nawat Itsaragrisil.

It also said it paid Henry's hospital expenses following the incident and later covered treatment at a specialised hospital in Jamaica.

Meanwhile, the organisation said it offered Henry a position as a goodwill ambassador but had not received a response.

Miss Grand International has disputed Henry's account, saying she may have missed her blocking and was possibly not looking at the runway. The organisation denied that anyone blamed her for the fall.

Henry's lawsuit maintains that the stage was unsafe and that the defendants' actions contributed to her injuries.

This story was first reported by PEOPLE Magazine.

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