The Miss Universe Organization (MUO) is ending its partnership with PT Capella Swastika Karya, the company that owns the franchise of the prestigious beauty pageant in Indonesia, and Indonesian national director Poppy Capella.
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The decision came in the wake of sexual harassment accusations by this year's contestants of Miss Universe Indonesia against local organizers.
Miss Universe Indonesia 2023 was held just recently, with Fabiënne Nicole Groeneveld from Jakarta winning the crown and earning the right to represent the country in this year's Miss Universe tilt.
HAS NOT LIVED UP TO BRAND STANDARDS
In a statement, the Miss Universe Organization said that PT Capella Swastika Karya and its team failed to adhere to the "brand standards, ethics, or expectations" set for franchisees to follow.
It was announced last February that PT Capella Swastika Karya would take over from Puteri Indonesia as the franchise owner of Miss Universe Indonesia.
Six contestants in this year's pageant have come forward to file complaints against the company.
They accused the organizers of subjecting participants to topless "body checks."
Their lawyer, Mellisa Anggraini, mentioned that the contestants were instructed to remove their clothes before a group of people.
The proceeding was allegedly for the representatives to check the contestants for "any scars, cellulite, or tattoos."
Stressed the MUO in its statement, "Providing a safe place for women is the Miss Universe Organization's utmost priority, and the events at this particular pageant are diametrically opposed to everything we stand for as an organization."
The decision also affects the upcoming Miss Universe Malaysia, which was also under the management of PT Capella Swastika Karya.
Said the MUO, "PT Capella Swastika Karya and its principals will not be moving forward with Miss Universe Malaysia 2023, and will not be given any additional contracts within our organization.
"We will be canceling Miss Universe Malaysia 2023, and will make arrangements for the Indonesia 2023 titleholder to compete in this year's Miss Universe pageant."
In a previous statement, Poppy denied the allegations, saying that she was unaware of the activities that were happening behind the scenes.
"[I] was not involved at all and have never known, ordered, requested or allowed anyone who plays a role and participated in the process of organizing Miss Universe Indonesia 2023 to commit sexual harassment through body checking as reported," enthused Poppy, who also denied accepting bribe money from contestants.
She said about the bribery rumors, "Our organization upholds justice, transparency, and professionalism in every aspect of our operations.
"Each contestant is tested based on his achievements, abilities, and attributes and no other financial or considerations involved in our selection process."
FULL STATEMENT FROM MUO
Here is the full statement furnished by the MUO to the media announcing its split with the local pageant organizers in Indonesia.
"The Miss Universe Organization has decided to terminate the relationship with its current franchisee in Indonesia, PT Capella Swastika Karya, and its National Director, Poppy Capella.
"In light of what we have learned took place at Miss Universe Indonesia, it has become clear that this franchise has not lived up to our brand standards, ethics, or expectations as outlined in our franchise handbook and code of conduct.
"Providing a safe place for women is the Miss Universe Organization's utmost priority, and the events at this particular pageant are diametrically opposed to everything we stand for as an organization.
"PT Capella Swastika Karya and its principals will not be moving forward with Miss Universe Malaysia 2023, and will not be given any additional contracts within our organization. We will be canceling Miss Universe Malaysia 2023, and will make arrangements for the Indonesia 2023 titleholder to compete in this year's Miss Universe pageant.
"We are also evaluating our current franchise agreement as well as our policies and procedures to prevent this type of conduct from occurring and to ensure that future events worldwide remain within the brand standards that we have set out for all of our international franchises.
"We also want to make it extremely clear that there are no measurements such as height, weight, or body dimensions required to join a Miss Universe pageant worldwide.
"To the women who came forward from the Indonesia pageant - we're sorry that this was your experience with our organization.
"We appreciate your bravery in speaking out, and we pledge to do better in the future."