Singapore’s new Miss Universe won’t be going to Puerto Rico — neither will Malaysia’s

Vion Erico Tan, recently crowned Miss Universe Singapore 2026, will not compete in the 75th Miss Universe pageant due to a dispute over franchise rights, affecting six South-east Asian countries.

This decision follows the Miss Universe Organization's declaration that franchise agreements managed by Miss Universe Eastern were invalid.

Despite the setback, Tan expressed her determination to showcase Singapore internationally in future competitions.

The Miss Universe Singapore Organisation supported her and indicated plans for her participation in Miss Universe 2027, emphasizing the importance of fair competition and representation.

SINGAPORE, Oct 24 — Slightly over a week after being crowned Miss Universe Singapore 2026, Vion Erico Tan has received some disappointing news.

The beauty queen will no longer be competing at the 75th Miss Universe pageant in Puerto Rico slated for November 24, following an ongoing dispute over franchise rights.

“I’ve just received the news, and honestly, it has hit me harder than I can put into words,” the 22-year-old wrote in an Instagram post on Wednesday (October 21).

Reflecting on the experience, Vion shared that the pageant journey was “never just about a crown or competition”.

Rather, it was a meaningful opportunity to represent Singapore on the international stage, sharing its culture, stories and spirit.

Thanking everyone for their support, the Miss Universe Singapore 2026 winner said that while she is unsure of what the next chapter holds, she is determined not to let the situation falter her.

“If anything, it has made me more determined to show the world what Singapore is capable of,” she said.

“Representing Singapore was never just about being given a stage. It is about what we carry in our hearts, the people who stand behind us, and the courage to keep going even when the path ahead changes unexpectedly.”

Vion is among six South-east Asian representatives affected, including Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Laos.

The decision came after the Miss Universe Organisation (MUO) said on September 18 that franchise agreements involving the countries, executed by Miss Universe Eastern (MUE), were not valid.

“Miss Universe Eastern Pte Ltd has no authority, whether independently or through any purported arrangement to grant, assign, transfer, or otherwise confer any license or operational rights concerning the Miss Universe brand, and no valid legal or contractual licensing framework is currently in place authorising it to do so,” said the organiser in a statement.

It added that only JKN Universe LLC, which owns and operates the brand, has the authority to grant or authorise any rights related to the international pageant or its related intellectual property.

The claims, however, were disputed by Miss Grand International (MGI), led by Thai businessman Nawat Itsaragrisil, who also heads MUE.

In an official statement on Wednesday, MGI maintained the validity of its rights pertaining to the affected countries, adding that they were “lawfully obtained through valid contractual agreements”.

“MGI does not accept that the public declaration concerning the six territories constitutes, by itself, a legally effective termination of MGI’s contractual rights. MGI expressly reserves all rights concerning the validity, continuation, extension and enforceability of those contractual arrangements.”

That said, the South-east Asian organiser also announced that it would not be sending the contestants to participate in the Puerto Rico finals due to the uncertainty surrounding the situation.

“MGI has determined that it is no longer reasonably possible to send the six representatives to participate in the 75th Miss Universe Competition under conditions that adequately protect their status, dignity, safety and equal treatment.”

It stressed that the decision did not constitute a voluntary withdrawal or surrender of its contractual rights.

The Miss Universe Singapore Organisation (MUSO) also expressed its support for MGI’s non-participation in the upcoming global pageant.

It also took the opportunity to share its thoughts on the situation.

“This development is deeply disappointing, especially for our reigning Miss Universe Singapore 2026, Vion Erico Tan, who has dedicated her time, energy and determination towards fulfilling her dream of representing Singapore on the international stage,” it said in a statement on Thursday.

MUSO added that the newly crowned beauty queen had been actively preparing for the Puerto Rico finals, and was “fully ready to carry Singapore with pride”.

Thanking Nawat for prioritising the well-being of the representatives, the organisation also said: “We believe that Miss Universe should be a global platform that celebrates women’s empowerment, equality, diversity and opportunity.”

“No woman who has rightfully earned the honour of representing her country should be denied a fair chance to compete because of circumstances beyond her control.”

And while Vion will not be participating in the global finals, MUSO said her Miss Universe journey is “far from over”.

Instead, she will be continuing her preparations in hopes of representing Singapore at Miss Universe 2027.

“We look forward with renewed hope and excitement to seeing Vion proudly carry Singapore’s flag on the international stage in 2027, where every representative is given the dignity, respect and fair opportunity she deserves,” said MUSO.

Vion, an entrepreneur and model, was crowned Miss Universe Singapore 2026 on October 13.

She was competing with eight other finalists for an opportunity to represent Singapore at the 75th Miss Universe finals in Puerto Rico then. — AsiaOne

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最近荣获 2026 年新加坡环球小姐桂冠的 Vion Erico Tan 将不会参加第 75 届环球小姐大赛，原因是涉及六个东南亚国家的特许经营权纠纷。

此前，环球小姐组织宣布由环球小姐东部地区管理的特许经营协议无效，随后环球小姐组织做出了这项决定。

尽管遭遇挫折，谭女士仍表达了在未来的比赛中向国际观众展示新加坡实力的决心。

新加坡环球小姐组织对她表示支持，并表示计划让她参加 2027 年环球小姐大赛，强调公平竞争和代表性的重要性。

新加坡，10 月 24 日——在加冕 2026 年新加坡环球小姐后仅仅一周多一点，Vion Erico Tan 就收到了一些令人失望的消息。

由于与环球小姐选美大赛特许经营权的纠纷持续不断，这位选美皇后将不再参加原定于11月24日在波多黎各举行的第75届环球小姐选美大赛。

“我刚刚收到这个消息，说实话，它对我的​​打击比我能用语言表达的还要大，”这位 22 岁的年轻人周三（10 月 21 日）在 Instagram 上发帖写道。

回顾这段经历，维昂表示，选美之旅“从来不只是关于皇冠或比赛”。

相反，这是一个在国际舞台上代表新加坡，分享其文化、故事和精神的有意义的机会。

2026 年新加坡环球小姐冠军感谢大家的支持，并表示虽然她不确定未来会怎样，但她决心不让这种情况动摇自己。

“如果说这件事有什么影响的话，那就是让我更加坚定地要向世界展示新加坡的实力，”她说。

“代表新加坡参赛从来不仅仅是获得一个舞台。它关乎我们心中的信念，关乎支持我们的人，以及即使前路变幻莫测也要勇往直前的勇气。”

Vion是受影响的六个东南亚代表之一，其他五个代表分别是泰国、越南、印度尼西亚、马来西亚和老挝。

此前，环球小姐组织 (MUO) 于 9 月 18 日表示，由环球小姐东方赛区 (MUE) 执行的涉及这些国家的特许经营协议无效。

主办方在一份声明中表示：“环球小姐东方私人有限公司无权，无论是独立行使还是通过任何所谓的安排，授予、转让、转移或以其他方式授予任何与环球小姐品牌相关的许可或运营权，目前也没有任何有效的法律或合同许可框架授权其这样做。”

声明还补充说，只有拥有并运营该品牌的 JKN Universe LLC 才有权授予或授权与国际选美大赛或其相关知识产权有关的任何权利。

然而，这些说法遭到了国际小姐大赛（MGI）的质疑，该赛事由泰国商人纳瓦特·伊萨拉格里西尔（Nawat Itsaragrisil）领导，他同时也是MUE的负责人。

周三，MGI在一份官方声明中重申了其在受影响国家所享有的权利的有效性，并补充说这些权利是“通过有效的合同协议合法获得的”。

“MGI不认为有关六个地区的公开声明本身就构成对其合同权利的法律有效终止。MGI明确保留与这些合同安排的有效性、延续性、延期和可执行性相关的所有权利。”

尽管如此，东南亚主办方也宣布，由于局势不明朗，将不会派选手参加在波多黎各举行的决赛。

“MGI 认为，在能够充分保障这六位代表的地位、尊严、安全和平等待遇的条件下，已不再可能合理地派遣她们参加第 75 届环球小姐大赛。”

它强调，该决定并不构成其自愿撤回或放弃合同权利。

新加坡环球小姐组织（MUSO）也表示支持MGI不参加即将举行的全球选美大赛。

它还借此机会分享了自己对当前形势的看法。

“这一事态发展令人深感失望，尤其是对于我们现任的2026年新加坡环球小姐Vion Erico Tan而言，她投入了大量的时间、精力和决心来实现代表新加坡登上国际舞台的梦想，”该机构周四在一份声明中表示。

MUSO补充说，这位新晋选美皇后一直在积极备战波多黎各决赛，并且“已做好充分准备，为新加坡赢得荣誉”。

该组织感谢纳瓦特将代表们的福祉放在首位，并表示：“我们认为环球小姐应该是一个全球平台，颂扬女性赋权、平等、多样性和机遇。”

“任何一位凭借自身实力赢得代表国家参赛荣誉的女性，都不应因为自身无法控制的情况而被剥夺公平竞争的机会。”

尽管维昂将不会参加全球总决赛，但环球小姐组织表示，她的环球小姐之旅“远未结束”。

相反，她将继续备战，希望能够代表新加坡参加 2027 年环球小姐大赛。

“我们满怀希望和激动地期待着在 2027 年看到 Vion 自豪地代表新加坡登上国际舞台，届时每一位代表都将获得她应得的尊严、尊重和公平的机会，”新加坡宇航局表示。

企业家兼模特 Vion 于 10 月 13 日荣获 2026 年新加坡环球小姐桂冠。

当时，她正与其他八位佳丽角逐代表新加坡参加在波多黎各举行的第75届环球小姐总决赛的资格。——亚洲新闻网

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