IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Miss Universe queens under Paula Shugart’s helm

(From left) Pia Wurtzbach, Brook Lee, Zozibini Tunzi, Riyo Mori, and Catriona Gray were among the most well-known Miss Universe titleholders under the leadership of ex-MUO president Paula Shugart (center). GRAPHICS: Mar Galang

The pageant community was turned upside down after former Miss Universe Organization (MUO) president Paula Shugart declared she was planning to sue the pageant company co-owner Anne Jakrajutatip, who accused her of taking money to ensure certain titleholders win the crown.

Since 1997, Shugart was a key figure behind the glory of the pageant’s brand of a diverse group of empowered women, until her sudden decision to step down in November 2023. She was a driving force behind the titleholders’ advocacies, that was why many of them vouched for her “integrity and intelligence” when she finally spoke against the Thai mogul.

Below are some of the most notable Miss Universe winners who were crowned under Shugart’s leadership — women who were crowned not only for their beauty and grace, but also for making an impact in empowering women.

Brook Lee (1997)

Miss Universe 1997 Brook Lee. Image: Miss Universe Organization via Instagram/@brookleeofficial

Brook Lee shook the world — the universe, rather — with her humor and witticism that cracked the tan of the legendary George Hamilton, who was then hosting the 1997 Miss Universe pageant. During the question-and-answer portion, Lee, a native of the state of Hawaii in the United States, was asked: “If there were no rules in your life, for one day, and you could be outrageous, what would you do?”

Lee answered like she was waiting for this moment to be able to answer the question. “I would eat everything in the world,” she said with her toothy grin, and as the audience began cheering her on. “You do not understand. I would eat everything twice.”

Her unrehearsed answer to the final question earned her the crown, but it was her wit that earned her a career as a TV host. She became the mainstay of the shows “Hawaii Sports Adventure,” “Top Ten Beaches of America,” and “E! Behind the Scenes Look at Miss Universe,” as well as the podcast “It’s a Hawaii Thing.”

On social media, she was one of the most vocal supporters of Shugart.

Lara Dutta (2000)

Miss Universe 2000 Lara Dutta. Image: Facebook/Miss Universe

Lara Dutta of India is one of the titleholders who made winning the Miss Universe crown seem so easy — that she breezed through the swimsuit, evening gown, and question-and-answer portions without a hitch. Although it wasn’t surprising that she might’ve been nervous in her pageant stint as well.

Dutta, who won the title in 2000, established herself as an actress in her home country where she appeared in many shows such as “Don 2,” “Partner,” “Housefull,” and “Chalo Dilli,” among many others.

She is also a vocal supporter of the “Me Too” movement in her home country per Indian media outlet Khaleej Times, saying it empowers “women to stand up for other women.”

Riyo Mori (2007)

Miss Universe 2007 Riyo Mori of Japan. Image: Twitter/@MissUniverse

Riyo Mori’s hunger to win shone as soon as she stepped foot on the Miss Universe stage. From the semi-final rounds until she was bestowed the Mikimoto Crown, the Japanese stunner emerged as the undisputed winner in the pageant’s 2007 edition.

Mori might’ve opted for a quiet life after her reign, but she spoke about wanting to teach children to be “positive, patient, and happy” through dance in a 2008 interview with CNN. She returned to the global tilt as one of the judges of the Miss Universe 2016 preliminaries and Miss Universe 2019 coronation.

“I want to teach young people, through dancing, how to be positive, patient, and happy. These three things are very important to me,” said Mori, who’s a trained ballet dancer.

Pia Wurtzbach (2015)

Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach of the Philippines. Image: Facebook/Miss Universe

Pia Wurtzbach’s journey to the Miss Universe crown was nothing short of inspiring which ultimately solidified the Philippines’ standing as a beauty pageant powerhouse, and for herself, as one of the most well-known titleholders of all time, regardless of the controversy that transpired during the pageant.

Before passing her crown, she signed a three-year contract with IMG to continue her work as an HIV/AIDS advocate in partnership with the MUO. Her post-pageant career rose to new heights as she returned to acting and modeling while expanding her many pursuits.

She also called for widespread support for mental health, dabbled into content creation in the fashion industry, and released her debut novel “Queen of the Universe” in 2023.

Iris Mittenaere (2016)

Miss Universe 2016 Iris Mittenaere. Image: Facebook/Miss Universe

Iris Mittenaere opted to pay tribute to her dental surgery roots after she was crowned Miss Universe 2016, where she advocated for oral health during her reign. She also visited learning centers to spread her advocacy to schoolchildren in her home country France, per French media outlet Midi Libre.

After passing her crown, Mittenaere became a TV host and also became a judge on the shows “Drag Race France” and “Top Model Belgium.” The French lass also continued her advocacy under the nonprofit organization Smile Train.

Catriona Gray (2018)

Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray of the Philippines. Image: Facebook/Miss Universe

Catriona Gray wore her love for the Philippines on every aspect of her Miss Universe journey, which eventually paid off when she bagged the crown in 2018. She was said to be one of the most prepared candidates of all time, as she planned her pageant journey the moment she submitted her application in the national tilt, breaking away from the traditional pageant camps and assembled her own glam team who would help her realize her creative vision to be able to win the crown.

Gray dedicated her post-pageantry journey as an advocate for creatives, women’s rights, and the protection of indigenous cultures. She is also serving as an ambassador of several nonprofit organizations.

In October 2020, she stood firm in her stance for women’s rights even though she and actress Liza Soberano were red-tagged by Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr.

Zozibini Tunzi (2019)

Miss Universe 2019 Zozibini Tunzi of South Africa. Image: Facebook/Miss Universe

Zozibini Tunzi made her mark not only as the longest-reigning Miss Universe in history but also as one of the winners who impressed fans and casual viewers with her final question-and-answer in the pageant’s 2019 edition.

“I think the most important thing we should be teaching young girls today is leadership,” she said. “It is something that has been lacking in young girls and women for a very long time, not because we don’t want to, but because of what society has labeled women to be.”

Tunzi’s answer gave birth to many studies about the importance of women “taking up space” as leaders in international journals such as the International Journal of Multicultural and Multireligious Understanding and Global Citizen. After the pageant, she went for a career as a host, brand ambassador, and executive producer of the South African show “Crown Chasers.”

Harnaaz Sandhu (2021)

Miss Universe 2021 Harnaaz Sandhu of India. Image: Facebook/Miss Universe

Another much-needed advocacy was urged by Miss Universe 2021 Harnaaz Sandhu of India who pushed for menstrual equity during and after her reign. She also spoke about the beauty of “bleeding” when she visited the Philippines, in hopes of debunking the stigma surrounding menstrual health among women.

“There are women who don’t have access to pads, who are living in such a stereotypical mindset of people around them, where teaching menstruation is a taboo. Let’s talk about it,” she said in April 2022. “We are unstoppable. We bleed every month and that should not come in between our work to achieving our goals.”

R’Bonney Gabriel (2022)

R’Bonney Gabriel, Miss Universe USA 2022 is crowned Miss Universe at the conclusion of the 71st MISS UNIVERSE Competition® on January 14th, 2023 at the New Orleans Ernst N. Morial Convention Center airing LIVE on The Roku Channel in English and Telemundo in Spanish.

Filipino-American beauty queen R’Bonney Gabriel expressed her goal to be a “transformational leader” before she was crowned Miss Universe 2023. Since then, she used her career as a sustainable fashion designer and businesswoman to help victims of sexual violence and human trafficking. 

Apart from having her own fashion line, Gabriel is also a sewing instructor at the nonprofit design company Magpies & Peacocks to promote fashion as a “force for good.”

Shugart’s queens

Other titleholders crowned under Shugart’s stint were Wendy Fitzwilliam of Trinidad and Tobago (1998), Mpule Kwelagobe of Botswana (1999), Denise Quiñones of Puerto Rico (2001), Oxana Fedorova of Russia (2002), Justine Pasek of Panama (2002), Amelia Vega of Dominican Republic (2003), Jennifer Hawkins of Australia (2004), and Natalie Glebova of Canada (2005).

Puerto Rico’s Zuleyka Rivera (2006), Venezuela’s Dayana Mendoza (2008), Stefania Fernandez (2009), and Gabriela Isler (2013), as well as Mexico’s Ximena Navarrete (2010) and Andrea Meza (2020) were also crowned during the ex-MUO president’s tenure.

Rounding up the beauty queens under Shugart’s leadership are Paulina Vega of Colombia (2004) and Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters of South Africa (2017).