Everything to read about the Miss Universe controversies before watching TLC's new docuseries 'Crown of Deceit'

TLC's upcoming documentary series, Crown of Deceit: Inside the Miss Universe Scandal, will air on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET. The three-part series aims to shed light on the controversies that have marred the Miss Universe and Miss USA pageants in recent years. Business Insider correspondent Anneta Konstantinides appears in the docuseries to provide insights based on her extensive reporting on the pageant industry.

Episode one delves into the sexual harassment allegations that have plagued the Miss USA organization. It also covers Noelia Voigt's resignation as Miss USA 2023, making her the first winner in the pageant's history to give up her title. Additionally, the episode explores leadership challenges within the Miss Universe Organization, including a leaked video from October 2023 where former CEO Anne Jakrajutatip stated that diverse contestants can compete but cannot win.

Miss USA 2024 Alma Cooper and Miss Teen USA 2024 Addie Carver are also featured in this episode, along with former Miss USA CEO Laylah Rose.

Episode two focuses on the criticism surrounding Laylah Rose's leadership, a 2025 dispute over ownership of Miss USA, and an incident involving Miss Universe director publicly berating Miss Mexico Fátima Bosch during a Facebook livestream. Furthermore, it revisits the controversial comments made by Jakrajutatip regarding Miss Universe 2024 Victoria Kjær Theilvig's appearance, which elicited mixed reactions from pageant queens.

Episode three covers the aftermath of the 2025 Miss Universe pageant, addressing the absence of Rocha and Jakrajutatip, and Bosch's eventual crowning as Miss Universe. The episode also investigates other chaotic aspects of the event, such as Bosch's absence from the pageant, and features interviews with over a dozen contestants to understand how the event fell apart behind the scenes.