Miss Jamaica Gabrielle Henry has filed a lawsuit against the Miss Universe organization after a stage collapse left her with a serious brain injury. She says the accident “permanently altered the course of my life.”
Henry, a physician, brought the case Monday in Delaware Superior Court, almost a year after falling through a stage opening during the Miss Universe preliminary competition in Thailand.
According to the lawsuit, obtained by People, Henry was crossing the stage in November 2025 when “intense lighting” obstructed her view. She then dropped into an “unmarked and uncovered opening in the stage” that was approximately five feet deep.
The opening contained concrete and lighting equipment. The impact rendered Henry unconscious and caused a traumatic brain injury, including multiple brain bleeds, the lawsuit alleges.
“I fell into an unguarded hole, sustaining a traumatic brain injury that permanently altered the course of my life. All at once, a beautiful moment became a shattered dream,” Henry wrote in an essay published by the outlet Wednesday.
“Recovery from a traumatic brain injury is difficult to describe. It feels as though you’ve had an out-of-body experience and returned to one that is not your own,” she added.
Henry remained in hospitals in Bangkok and Jamaica for months, receiving treatment from November 2025 through March 2026. She said the injuries prevented her from finishing her residency and disrupted her career in ophthalmology.
“As an ophthalmologist, being in the hospital was also a particularly painful reminder of what I had lost on the way down during my fall,” she wrote.
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“I’ve transformed from student to doctor to patient, and I am trying to move forward again by continuing my career on a modified schedule and with my providers on speed dial.”
The complaint names Miss Universe and Thai pageant producer Miss Grand International, accusing both organizations of negligence, premises liability and inflicting emotional distress.
Henry claims the stage opening lacked adequate protection and should not have been accessible to contestants.
“This opening was not barricaded, illuminated, nor did it have a sign,” the lawsuit states. It also alleges that no safety markers were placed during rehearsals or the live broadcast, despite contestants voicing concerns.
Miss Universe officials initially characterized Henry’s injuries as “a couple of minor wounds.”
Several weeks later, however, the organization acknowledged that the “serious fall” had caused “significant injuries.” Officials said they accepted “full and immediate responsibility without hesitation” and would cover Henry’s medical expenses.
Henry appeared publicly for the first time since the accident at a charity event in Atlanta in May, where she was seated in a chair. She returned to the stage in August to crown her successor, Miss Jamaica 2026 Nevaeh Allen.
“As pageant queens, we are tasked with lifting others up. Throughout my journey, I learned to let others do the lifting,” Henry wrote in her essay.
“I continue to stand firm in my belief that the true reason for my fall, the meaning behind it all, will reveal itself somehow.”
