Miss Cosmo chief executive officer and president Henry Hoang Tranvietbao issued another apology this week over the stage mishap that happened during the inaugural edition of the Miss Cosmo pageant held at the Saigon Riverside Park in Vietnam in 2024.
Tranvietbao released an official statement on Instagram regarding the 2024 incident after former contestant Ahtisa Manalo shared her Miss Cosmo experience in a podcast interview released on Wednesday.
Manalo injured her ankle after the stage of the Miss Cosmo 2024 pageant collapsed during rehearsals.
The beauty queen revealed that she still can’t walk properly until now due to the mishap.
“Almost Honest” podcast host Kylie Verzosa also asked Manalo regarding her opinion on the backlash she received from Vietnamese pageant fans during her stint at the 2024 Miss Cosmo pageant.
“I don’t know. I honestly don’t know. If anyone should be mad, it should be me. I’m the one who, up until now, still can’t properly walk on my right foot. It’s really hard for me to walk,” Manalo said.
Technical incident
Even before the podcast was released, the Miss Cosmo Organisation issued a public apology and confirmed back in 2024 that a “technical incident” happened during the rehearsals of the pageant.
Organisers failed to reveal all the details of the stage accident but assured pageant fans back then that organisers immediately co-ordinated with experts and relevant authorities to address the incident.
Manalo failed to participate in some of the pageant’s activities due to her injury. She also revealed in the “Almost Honest” podcast that she was advised to rest by medical experts for 20 days.
However, the Philippine representative defied the doctors’ advice and pushed through with the competition.
She eventually finished as one of the Top 10 finalists of the beauty pageant.
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CEO calls for respect
In his Instagram story, Tranvietbao called on Vietnamese fans to respect the opinion of Manalo and claimed responsibility for the unfortunate incident.
The pageant owner stressed that it is the sole responsibility of the Miss Cosmo Organisation to address the 2024 stage accident.
“I have never, and will never, think that Ahtisa was dishonest about herself or her experience at Miss Cosmo 2024.
“I fully respect her personal perspective on what happened. I believe sharing personal feelings is not wrong.
“And I truly hope that this doesn’t turn into a divide between the fans of the competition and any contestant. I hope we can remain one, not two sides,” Tranvietbao said.
He also assured fans that the Vietnam-based international pageant will continue to improve to prevent negative experiences for future candidates.
Meanwhile, Manalo came back stronger after her Miss Cosmo 2024 experience and was crowned as Miss Universe Philippines 2025.
She then represented the country at the 74th edition of the pageant held at the Impact Challenger Hall in Thailand last year and finished as third runner-Up.
Manalo is set to pass her crown to her new successor at the Miss Universe Philippines 2026 pageant on May 1.
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