EXCLUSIVE: 'Rigged' Scandal Rocks Miss Universe Contest After Gloria Estefan's Niece Wins The Crown… Sparking Major Backlash
Miss Universe is in hot water over a potential rigging scandal.
Aug. 11 2025, Published 8:00 a.m. ET
Beauty queen Lina Luaces is poised to compete for Miss Universe after being crowned Miss Cuba, but backlash over the rumored help she supposedly received from her rich and famous family has led to allegations the competition was rigged, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
American-born Luaces, 22, is not a native of the country she'll be repping at the global pageant in November, having grown up in Miami among Cuba's elite expatriate community as part of the city’s first family of entertainment, the Estefans.
The brunette babe's mother is well-heeled Univision host Lili Estefan, niece of famed Miami Sound Machine couple Gloria and Emilio Estefan, who are reportedly worth a whopping $500 million.
Gloria Estefan's family ties has fueled outrage over Lina Luaces' Miss Cuba win.
Luaces' pedigree caused fellow Latinos to storm the pageant's Instagram page to slam her victory.
"This will be the last Miss Universe Cuba competition I watch. If you noticed, she was called first EVERY TIME," one outraged fan wrote. "They should just skip the dog and pony show and name a sponsored winner without the pretend competition."
Another viewer wrote: "They say no to dictatorship in Cuba, but YES to corruption and nepotism."
A third summed it up even more bluntly by declaring: "Miss Nepotism!"
Luaces insisted she's representing the right country because she feels Cuban.
Questions Surrounding Voting
Venezuela's President, Nicolas Maduro, slammed Miss Universe after Amanda Dudamel lost the crown.
However, her win isn't the first time the validity of pageant voting has been questioned.
In 2022, the election of Miss Texas R'Bonney Gabriel to Miss USA was similarly shrouded in controversy amid claims that the Miss USA organization fixed the competition or heavily influenced voters to favor her, and several contestants left the stage after her victory, refusing to congratulate her.
The Houston native then won Miss Universe 2022, and Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro barked that the crown was stolen from his country's entrant, first runner-up Amanda Dudamel.
Denying Claims Of Rigging
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CEO Anne Jakrajutatip faced claims of pressuring Paula Shugart in favor of Miss Thailand.
Both pageants denied all claims of rigging, and Amy Emmerich, CEO of the Miss Universe Organization, told TMZ at the time that Gabriel was "the rightful Miss Universe."
Miss Universe 2022 judge Emily Austin took issue with Maduro's remarks, telling Fox News Digital that he's "literally an illegitimate president" who "cheated" his way into office.
Yet pageant industry insiders say people are right to be skeptical.
In 2023, Paula Shugart resigned from the Miss Universe Organization after 23 years as president.
At the time, Denise White, a former competitor and marketing specialist, claimed current CEO Anne Jakrajutatip tried to pressure Shugart to favor Miss Thailand in that year's contest.
White told RadarOnline.com: "Given the ongoing controversies and questionable leadership within the Miss Universe Organization, it's hard to believe the process is truly transparent or fair."
