November 19, 2025 - TEMPO Networks

By NAN ET EDITOR

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Weds. Nov. 19, 2025: Miss Jamaica’s Miss Universe dreams now hang in the balance after contestant Dr. Gabrielle Henry suffered a shocking and frightening fall straight off the stage during the Miss Universe 2025 preliminary competition in Thailand.

Miss Jamaica Universe fell off the stage at the pageant.

Henry was confidently gliding across the runway in a shimmering evening gown on Wednesday night, Thai time, when she suddenly stepped off the front edge of the stage and vanished from view. The impact was so severe that viewers watching the livestream gasped in horror, with many saying they felt the shock through their screens.

Within seconds, what appeared to be medical staff rushed toward her. Henry was later seen being taken away on a stretcher. As of now, the Miss Universe Organization has not released an official update on her condition, leaving fans across Jamaica and the wider Caribbean anxiously awaiting news.

Rumors Swirl: Was There A Hole In The Stage?

Henry’s fall has ignited intense speculation online, with many questioning whether an unseen hole or platform gap caused the accident. Contestants typically rehearse every step of their walks, making such a sudden misstep highly unusual.

Her facial expression moments before the plunge suggested she encountered something unexpected, fueling the speculation. Miss Great Britain also fell earlier during the National Costume segment, though she quickly recovered and continued.

FLASHBACK – Miss Jamaica Gabrielle Henry walks on stage during the 2025 Miss Universe national costume presentation in Nonthaburi, north of Bangkok, on November 19, 2025. (Photo by LILLIAN SUWANRUMPHA/AFP via Getty Images)

A High-Pressure Miss Universe Competition Already Marked by Controversy

The 2025 Miss Universe pageant, held in Thailand, was already under intense scrutiny even before the accidents. This edition marks the historic debuts of Palestine, Saudi Arabia, and Mozambique, alongside the return of several nations — adding to the global excitement and pressure.

Contestants have been navigating a packed schedule of rehearsals, interviews, photoshoots, cultural activities, and the crucial preliminary gala — the very event where Henry fell. Prelims play a major role in shaping who becomes a frontrunner for the crown among the 120+ delegates.

Yet the pageant has also been overshadowed by controversy. Earlier this month, newly crowned Miss Universe Victoria Theilvig abruptly walked out of a live-streamed sashing ceremony after witnessing a senior official harshly reprimand Miss Mexico, Melissa Flores Bosch. The tense confrontation went viral, with fans calling it “chaotic,” “unprofessional,” and “humiliating.”

The Miss Universe Organization later issued a statement reaffirming that all events would continue as planned, emphasizing its commitment to diversity, empowerment, and inclusion.

A Heartbreaking Setback for Miss Jamaica

For Dr. Henry — who was steadily building momentum and capturing viewer attention — the timing of the fall is devastating. The preliminary show is where contestants begin to separate themselves from the pack and cement their place as semifinal contenders.

Now, instead of celebrating a strong performance, fans are praying for her health and hoping her Miss Universe journey can somehow continue.

Across Jamaica and the diaspora, messages of support have poured in — all urging Henry to recover quickly and reminding her that she has already made her country proud.

See the fall below.

ABOUT MISS JAMAICA UNIVERSE

Dr. Gabrielle Henry – Miss Universe Jamaica 2025 – is an ophthalmologist and passionate advocate for the visually impaired. She was crowned in August 2025 and is representing Jamaica at the 74th Miss Universe pageant in Thailand.

She founded the See Me Foundation, dedicated to expanding educational and economic opportunities for people with reduced vision. Her inspiration comes from her mother and from witnessing firsthand the challenges faced by visually impaired patients during her medical training.

Henry won several sectional awards at Miss Universe Jamaica 2025, including Best Personality, Best Essence of Style, and the Media Challenge Award.

Her guiding belief: “Beauty is not just in what can be seen but what is felt when people uplift one another.”

By ET Editor

News Americas, NY, NY, Tues. Nov. 17, 2025: Trinidad and Tobago–born rapper Nicki Minaj shocked many more today, publicly praising President Donald Trump and thanking him from the podium of the United Nations Headquarters. Her appearance — the first time a female rapper has addressed the UN — instantly raised eyebrows across the Caribbean, the African Diaspora and the immigrant and music world.

Trinidadian-US rapper Nicki Minaj speaks during the panel discussion “Combatting Religious Violence and the Killing of Christians in Nigeria” at the US Mission to the United Nations in New York City, on November 18, 2025. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)

But Minaj’s sudden embrace of Trump is rooted in one specific issue: what she sees as the “persecution” of Christians in Nigeria.

The megastar spoke softly but firmly during a four-minute address ahead of a panel titled “Combating Religious Violence and the Killing of Christians in Nigeria.” She thanked Trump “for prioritizing this issue,” claiming Christians in Nigeria are being killed “simply because of how they pray.”

Her comments echoed Trump’s own narrative. And that is precisely where the controversy lies.

A Coordinated Appearance – Not an Organic One

According to reporting by TIME, Minaj’s participation was arranged by Trump adviser Alex Bruesewitz. Before she took the podium, UN Ambassador Mike Waltz thanked her for being willing to “demand action” on behalf of Christians.

This follows a recent pattern: Minaj has repeatedly amplified Trump’s messaging online, including:

• reposting a Truth Social message claiming Christianity faces an “existential threat” in Nigeria
• sharing a White House pro-MAGA video soundtracked by her own hit “Beez In the Trap”
• promoting a xenophobic and anti-trans video praising Trump’s achievements — a move that cost her more than 100,000 followers

In each instance, Minaj publicly aligned herself with Trump’s framing of Nigeria’s violence as a one-sided religious war.

But Is Trump’s Claim True?

Research indicates otherwise.

Independent data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, (ACLED) and the Council on Foreign Relations, shows violence in Nigeria is complex — driven by overlapping factors including:

• extremist activity
• criminal banditry
• farmer–herder land disputes
• economic insecurity
• political instability

Not religion alone.

Experts interviewed by ABC, CNN, and Al-Jazeera agree: The violence is indiscriminate and affects both Christians and Muslims.

Nigerian officials have repeatedly pushed back on the “Christians only” framing. Gimba Kakanda, Senior Special Assistant to the Nigerian President, wrote in Al-Jazeera that conflicts often “unfold along regional or community lines, not strictly religious ones.”

Human rights lawyer Bulama Bukarti added that presenting the crisis as Christian persecution alone “distorts reality and inflames tensions.”

Why Minaj Aligns With Trump — The Real Answer

Based on the timeline, three factors explain her sudden praise:

1. She has increasingly embraced faith-based rhetoric.

Minaj has recently emphasized Christianity as central to her identity and public messaging. Trump’s narrative directly appeals to that shift.

2. Trump is elevating celebrity voices who amplify his foreign-policy messaging.

Her UN appearance was facilitated by Trump’s political team — not by the UN itself. This was a platform engineered to validate his claim.

3. Minaj may be stepping into political influence — intentionally or unknowingly.

By repeating Trump’s talking points, she instantly became a megaphone for his Nigeria narrative — even though the data behind it is contested.

Minaj Says She’s “Not Taking Sides” — But Her Speech Chose One

Late in her speech, she emphasized she was “not taking sides politically.” But thanking Trump first — and exclusively — contradicted that claim. Her remarks came after Trump threatened to “invade Nigeria guns-a-blazing” to stop supposed “Islamic extremists,” despite no evidence of a religion-only genocide.

What This Means Going Forward

Nicki Minaj — a Caribbean-born global superstar with massive influence — has now waded into one of Africa’s most misunderstood crises.
Her endorsement gives Trump’s Nigeria narrative celebrity amplification, even as researchers and Nigerian leaders warn that such framing can worsen division on the ground.

Whether Minaj intended to or not, she has become part of a geopolitical messaging war — one where data and politics often clash.

For now, the answer to the question: “Why is Nicki Minaj singing Trump’s praises?” is clear:

Because she has embraced his narrative on Nigeria – a narrative her team has not independently vetted, but which aligns with Trump’s strategy, messaging and political goals.

Watch The Speech Here

Miss Jamaica’s Dreams Now Hang In The Balance After Terrifying Fall At Miss Universe 2025