Miss Universe Jamaica 2025, Dr. Gabrielle Henry, the ophthalmologist who represented her country at Miss Universe 2025, has filed a lawsuit against the Miss Universe Organization nearly a year after a stage fall in Bangkok left her with a traumatic brain injury.
Henry, 28, fell roughly five feet through an unmarked, uncovered opening in the stage during a preliminary competition on November 19, 2025. The opening reportedly contained lighting equipment positioned above a concrete base.
She was hospitalized in Thailand from the day of the fall until December 10, part of that time in intensive care, after sustaining a subarachnoid hemorrhage, a frontal lobe hemorrhagic contusion, a subdural hemorrhage, and facial fractures and lacerations.
Speaking publicly about the incident for the first time in nearly a year, Henry said she has no memory of the fall itself, only that the base of the opening was concrete. “Brain injury, it’s one of the most traumatizing things,” she said. “I would not wish it on my worst enemy.” She has described months of relearning basic tasks such as walking, and says she continues physiotherapy and medical monitoring nearly a year on.
The lawsuit, filed September 21, 2026 in Delaware Superior Court, names the Miss Universe Organization, JKN Legacy Inc. and Legacy Holding Group USA as defendants.
It brings five claims: negligence, premises liability, negligent hiring, retention and supervision, negligent infliction of emotional distress, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The complaint alleges the stage opening was inadequately lit and marked, that other contestants had previously raised concerns about the staging, and that Henry was following rehearsed choreography when she fell.
Henry crowned her successor as Miss Universe Jamaica in August 2026 and has continued to advocate for contestant safety while pursuing both her recovery and the case. The Miss Universe Organization has not publicly responded to the lawsuit.
Image Credit: Miss Universe Jamaica & officialgabriellehenry/Instagram