Miss Universe Switzerland director Lina Poffet faces severe allegations of harassment, condescending behavior, and financial exploitation from multiple finalists, 20min.ch reported.
The beauty pageant executive stands accused of maintaining tight control over participants’ food intake and flying into nearly daily rages during a trip to New York. Several anonymous insiders came forward to detail an environment where contestants were allegedly left without food all day on set and insulted by management.
Several finalistes report that Lina Poffet repeatedly displayed disrespectful behavior, and she would sometimes speak to participants in a condescending manner, which videos in the possession of 20min.ch attest. She also allegedly insulted participants during the trip, calling them stupid and empty.
An upcoming HBO documentary titled Crown of Deceit: Inside The Miss Universe Scandal examines widespread organizational failures across the international franchise.
“Sometimes, we had to spend the whole day on set without any food being provided to us,” an anonymous insider told 20min.ch.
Another finalist described the atmosphere in New York, stating that management screamed at them and made bizarre accusations of theft. “She shouted at us and accused us of the craziest things, for example, that we had stolen things from her, it was almost paranoid,” the source said to 20min.ch.
Contestants Pay Entry Fees and Cover Their Own Travel Costs
Contestants sign contracts requiring a mandatory participation fee of 3,000 francs within a 30-day window to secure their place in the competition. Participants reported taking out bank loans to cover these upfront costs.
Sponsorship funds raised by the women allegedly did not benefit the contestants directly beyond covering the baseline entry fee. Donations exceeding that threshold were reportedly handed over to Poffet.
The signed agreements supposedly guaranteed that the organization would absorb travel, lodging, and meal expenses. Contestants instead covered their own flights, New Jersey hotel rooms, and daily taxi rides exceeding 200 francs. Travel costs for the trip to New York exceeded 1,500 francs.
Organizational Chaos and Leadership
Poffet oversees national franchises in Switzerland, Spain, Ethiopia, Germany, and Austria. Administrative disorganization characterized daily operations, with leadership frequently arriving late or missing scheduled meetings entirely.
What reportedly made working with Lina Poffet even more difficult, according to the participants, was her lack of professionalism, as she regularly arrived late or failed to show up to meetings at all, and there were often last-minute adjustments or schedule changes. Lina also frequently failed to answer emails, which annoyed sponsors, as she lacked organization and delegation, giving instructions and sometimes contradicting them shortly afterward.
A volunteer collaborator who worked closely with Poffet was literally humiliated, and left the organization in late June to take a step back.
Miss Universe Austria titleholder Victoria Amerson resigned from her role, citing overwhelming emotional pressure and negative health impacts.
Poffet Declines Comment as HBO Investigates Pageant System Flaws
Poffet declined to comment when contacted by the publication regarding the allegations of harassment and financial mismanagement.
