Dr. Gabrielle Henry suffered serious trauma after falling off the Miss Universe stage last month
The Miss Universe Organization has finally broken its silence with a detailed update on Miss Jamaica Dr. Gabrielle Henry’s condition, revealing the full extent of injuries she sustained during a frightening fall at the pageant preliminaries last month. The news comes more than three weeks after the incident left fans and fellow contestants deeply concerned about the beauty queen’s wellbeing.
Henry tumbled through an opening on the stage while performing her walk during the evening gown round on November 19 in Bangkok, Thailand. The fall resulted in injuries far more serious than initially disclosed, including an intracranial hemorrhage with loss of consciousness, a fracture, facial lacerations and other significant trauma that required immediate intensive care treatment.
The road to recovery begins at home
The pageant organization and Henry’s family jointly announced that the contestant will be returning to Jamaica in the coming days. She will travel with a full medical escort team and transfer directly to a hospital upon arrival for continued treatment and recovery. The decision to move her home marks a significant milestone in her healing journey, though she still requires round-the-clock specialist supervision.
After the fall, Henry was rushed to intensive care in Bangkok where she remained in critical condition under constant neurological monitoring. The severity of her injuries meant that medical professionals needed to watch her closely for any changes or complications that could arise from the intracranial hemorrhage, one of the most concerning aspects of her trauma.
Financial support and family presence
The Miss Universe Organization has stepped up to cover all of Henry’s hospital, medical and rehabilitation expenses during her time under care in Thailand. The pageant also provided financial support for her mother and sister’s accommodation and living costs while they stayed by her side during the recovery process.
Moving forward, the organization committed to funding the medically escorted repatriation flight arranged by the hospital and pledged to cover all future medical expenses arising from the incident. The comprehensive support package demonstrates the organization’s commitment to ensuring Henry receives proper care without financial burden on her family.
Addressing the blame controversy
The latest statement directly addressed allegations that emerged in the aftermath of the fall. Miss Haiti contestant Melissa Sapini previously spoke to media outlets claiming that pageant leadership blamed Henry for not paying attention during the incident. She alleged that during a meeting with contestants after the fall, a staff member’s first comment suggested the accident occurred because Henry was not focused.
The Miss Universe Organization firmly disputed these claims in its official statement, calling media reports suggesting Henry contributed to the incident entirely inaccurate. The organization emphasized that it has never attributed blame to the contestant and confirmed that such suggestions are unfounded and do not reflect the facts of what happened that night.
Miss Grand International, the host pageant organization, had previously stated that the incident occurred primarily because Henry missed her blocking and may not have been looking at the runway while walking. However, they also denied claims that their organization blamed the contestant for what happened.
Family gratitude and global support
Despite the controversy surrounding how the incident was handled, Henry’s family expressed deep gratitude to the Miss Universe Organization for their response. They described the organization’s actions as going beyond professional responsibility and reflecting devotion and protection of the family. The statement noted that from the moment the incident took place, Miss Universe stood beside Henry and her family as if she were their own, assuming full and immediate responsibility without hesitation.
The family also extended heartfelt thanks to the people of Jamaica, the Miss Universe community and supporters worldwide for the overwhelming outpouring of love, prayers and encouragement they received during this difficult time.
Miss Universe co-owner Raúl Rocha shared the press release on his social media, adding his own message of gratitude for those who supported Henry with prayer chains. He addressed the contestant directly, expressing the organization’s wish to carry out charitable projects together in Jamaica and calling her their voice and leader there.
The incident occurred just days before Miss Universe crowned Mexico’s Fátima Bosch as its 2025 winner on November 21. The pageant’s 74th edition has been marked by multiple controversies beyond Henry’s fall, drawing criticism from various contestants and observers about how the organization handled several situations throughout the competition.
As Henry prepares to continue her recovery at home, the focus remains on her healing and the hope that she will make a full recovery from the serious injuries she sustained.
Source: PEOPLE.com