A beauty queen who was set to represent Panama in the upcoming Miss Universe pageant has been removed from the competition after she mysteriously broke her contractual obligations to the event’s organizer.
Miss Panama Italia Mora explained in an Instagram post that she had left her hotel room in Mexico City without permission to ‘put on makeup’ for a gala she was attending on November 1, a day before she was disqualified.
‘I was told that this measure was taken for failure to leave the room, which I admit occurred to put on makeup and pick up personal items,’ Mora revealed in the Nov. 3 post.
“Unfortunately, I trusted and followed instructions without considering the consequences.”
Miss Panama Italia Mora has been removed from the Miss Universe pageant after she mysteriously broke her contractual obligations with the event organizer.
The 19-year-old model said she was surprised by the Miss Universe Organization’s decision to exclude her from the 73rd pageant, which will take place on November 16 in Mexico City.
“However, I want to express that I consider it to be a severe measure and that instead it could have been resolved with a dialogue or a warning,” he wrote.
According to local media, Mora was staying in her hotel room with her boyfriend, Juan Abadía, in violation of the security guidelines imposed by the Miss Universe Organization.
Italia Mora was stripped of her Miss Panama crown and will not represent the Central American nation
The Miss Panama Organization stripped Mora of her Miss Panama crown and opted not to send a replacement to the pageant.
‘The Miss Panama Organization reaffirms its responsible commitment to the celebration of Miss Universe and, with this same dedication, we are focused on the selection of a new representative who will participate in Miss Universe 2025, who we trust will responsibly fulfill her commitments’ said the organization. Panamanian.
In an interview with local entertainment outlet La Mordida, Mora revealed that she had an argument with the director of Miss Panama, César Rodríguez, in her hotel room over her makeup.
Mora and her boyfriend claim to have spent $100,000 to cover the cost of competing
Moral will no longer represent Panama in Miss Universe 2024
Italia Mora was crowned Miss Panama in August 2024 and was preparing to compete in the Miss Universe pageant on November 16 before being eliminated.
The despondent beauty queen said she planned to work on her makeup with makeup artists, whose services were hired by Abadía because Rodríguez claimed to have no money to cover it.
The hotel room where the makeup session was going to take place was also provided by Abadía.
Additionally, Mora said they had argued over clothes she needed for the Miss Universe pageant and expressed her displeasure because Rodríguez was not covering the cost.
He also claimed to be paying for Rodriguez’s hotel room.
The heated discussion came to a head after 20 minutes, when a staff member from the Miss Universe Organization appeared in the room, asked for Miss Panama, and escorted her to her own room.
‘I am the one affected,’ Mora told La Mordida. ‘He (Rodríguez) wipes his hands and everyone attacks me.’
Former Miss Panama Italy Mora
Juan Abadía said he and his girlfriend spent $100,000 before the Miss Universe pageant before he was told she would be disqualified.
Mora and Abadía claimed that they spent $100,000 to cover the entire cost of her career as Miss Panama and prepare her for the Miss Universe event.
They reportedly spent at least $15,000 on the trip to Mexico City, where they had to hire makeup artists and pay for Rodriguez’s hotel room.
They claimed to have provided Rodríguez with $3,000 to cover a debt he owed to the Figali Convention Center in Panama City, where the 58th edition of the Miss Panama pageant was held on August 3.
“Italy’s stress was with César, because there was never money for anything,” Abadía said. “When I arrived, Italy did not have a single heel, nor a dress, nor a panty. I was the one who bought her everything, including the red Carolina Herrera dress that cost almost $7,000.’