A Bangkok court has issued an arrest warrant for Jakkaphong “Anne” Jakrajutatip, the high-profile co-owner of the Miss Universe Organization, after she failed to appear in court on Tuesday in connection with an ongoing fraud case.
According to Fox News, a statement from the Bangkok South District Court, cited by The Associated Press, stated that Jakkaphong was expected to attend a scheduled hearing related to accusations that she defrauded an investor in 2023.
She had previously been released on bail, but officials said she did not show up for the hearing and did not notify the court. The judge deemed her a flight risk and rescheduled the session for Dec. 26.
Jakkaphong’s company, JKN Global Group, purchased the Miss Universe Organization in 2022 before selling 50% of the ownership the following year to Legacy Holding Group USA, owned by Mexican businessman Raúl Rocha Cantú.
The fraud allegations stem from claims made by investor Raweewat Maschamadol, who says JKN deceived him during a 2023 corporate-bond sale.
Maschamadol alleges that JKN and Jakkaphong misrepresented the company’s financial condition, leading him to buy bonds that ultimately cost him around $930,000.
JKN stopped making investor payments in 2023, wiping out the value of the bonds altogether.
The company has struggled financially, defaulting on payments to investors in 2023 and entering debt rehabilitation the following year. JKN has reported obligations totaling approximately $93 million.
Jakkaphong, a well-known Thai celebrity and openly transgender woman, resigned from her positions within the company in June after Thailand’s SEC accused her of falsifying financial statements from 2023. Despite stepping down, she remains JKN’s largest shareholder.
Her current whereabouts are unknown, and she did not appear at the 74th Miss Universe competition held in Bangkok earlier this month. JKN released a statement Monday denying rumors that she had liquidated company assets and fled the country.
The Miss Universe pageant itself has faced controversy this year. A Thai organizer publicly scolded Mexico’s Fátima Bosch Fernández—who later won the 2025 crown—drawing backlash.
Two judges also withdrew from the event, with one suggesting the scoring process may not have been fully transparent.
Thai authorities have opened an investigation into whether the pageant’s promotional materials illegally advertised online gambling. Meanwhile, another incident drew attention when Jamaica’s contestant, Gabrielle Henry, fell from the stage during the preliminary evening gown competition.
President Donald Trump previously owned the Miss Universe Organization, controlling the pageant from 1996 until 2015, when he sold it to IMG after NBC cut ties with him early in his presidential campaign.
The brand later changed ownership again, with IMG selling it to Jakkaphong in 2022.
