Miss Universe candidate excluded from competition due to “personal” scandal, rumors are circulating

They dropped a bombshell.

Miss Universe contestant Italy Mora was banned from the prestigious beauty pageant after she allegedly made an unauthorized visit to her boyfriend's hotel room.

The 19-year-old delegate was scheduled to represent Panama in the upcoming competition, which will take place on Saturday, November 16, in Mexico City, Mexico and will feature 130 participants from around the world.

However, Mora's hopes were dashed after the Miss Universe Organization announced she was pulling out of the competition, local media reported.

Pageant officials said she was subjected to a “comprehensive assessment by our disciplinary committee” over the alleged “personal error” but failed to specify the exact reason for her departure.

However, rumors began circulating that Mora – who was staying at a hotel in Mexico – had joined her boyfriend Juan Abadía in his hotel room without the organizers' permission, Jam Press reported.

The Panamanian pageant contestant addressed the allegations, claiming that her exit was due to a heated argument with Miss Universe Panama director César Anel Rodríguez.

She claimed she came into conflict with the beauty pageant boss over the lack of organization of the event.

In fact, Abadía, who was present during the dispute, reportedly said he was in Mexico to help Mora with needs that the organization was allegedly not meeting.

That included food, hotel fees and clothing — most notably a $7,000 Carolina Herrera dress, according to her boyfriend, who is a businessman and trainer.

According to Jam Press, the fallout from the dispute ultimately led to the bombshell losing out. Matters were not helped after pageant staff discovered her with Abadía, leading to accusations that she had made an unauthorized visit to his room.

“There is a lot of speculation that needs to be cleared up because it affects my reputation, and emotionally it has been difficult,” Mora said. “If I wasn’t with my boyfriend, I would have even more problems.”

She tried to persuade senior officials to overturn the verdict, but they refused. Ultimately, Mora said she agreed to “take responsibility for my actions and accept the consequences.”

Miss Universe representatives commented on her dismissal in a statement.

“It is important to note that we made this decision with the utmost respect for everyone involved,” they wrote. “Our top priority remains the well-being and transparency of all of our candidates, who represent diversity, talent and commitment.”

Despite Mora's sudden departure, no new candidate will be sent to represent Panama in her place and the organization will focus on finding a delegate for next year's competition.