Former Miss Universe Jamaica Gabrielle Henry is taking legal action nearly a year after a terrifying fall from the Miss Universe stage allegedly left her with severe brain injuries and derailed her medical career.
Henry, a doctor who represented Jamaica at the 2025 Miss Universe competition in Bangkok, filed a lawsuit Sept. 21 in Delaware Superior Court against the Miss Universe Organization, JKN Legacy Inc. and Legacy Holding Group USA. The complaint accuses the defendants of negligence and unsafe stage conditions.
The lawsuit stems from a frightening moment during the preliminary evening gown competition on Nov. 19, 2025.
Video from the event showed Henry walking across the stage in an orange gown before suddenly disappearing from view and falling from the platform.
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She was later taken away on a stretcher and hospitalized.
According to her lawsuit, Henry was following rehearsed choreography when she fell approximately five feet through what the complaint describes as an “unmarked and uncovered opening in the stage.” The filing alleges that lighting equipment and concrete were located below the opening.
Henry also alleges powerful stage lighting made it difficult for her to see where she was walking.
The lawsuit claims other contestants had raised concerns about the lighting and staging before the accident and alleges additional lighting was installed afterward to make the edge of the stage more visible. Those allegations have not yet been proven in court.
What initially appeared to viewers as a frightening fall allegedly resulted in far more serious injuries than many realized.
Henry claims she lost consciousness and suffered a traumatic brain injury that included an acute subarachnoid hemorrhage, frontal lobe hemorrhagic contusion and subdural hemorrhage.
She remained hospitalized from Nov. 19 until Dec. 10, according to reporting on the lawsuit.
A joint statement issued by Henry’s family and the Miss Universe Organization in December 2025 previously said she had suffered an intracranial hemorrhage, a fracture, facial lacerations and other significant injuries and required neurological monitoring while in intensive care.
Henry says the accident also changed the course of her life outside the pageant world.
She was pursuing a medical career in ophthalmology when she competed in Miss Universe. Her complaint alleges neurological and cognitive problems stemming from the fall prevented her from returning to her medical residency and resulted in lost professional opportunities and earning capacity.
Henry has also alleged that the widespread media attention surrounding the accident caused emotional distress separate from her physical injuries.
The lawsuit includes five claims, including negligence, premises liability, negligent hiring, retention and supervision, and negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The Miss Universe Organization has pushed back against parts of the dispute.
In a statement provided, the organization said that when it responded it had not yet been formally served with Henry’s lawsuit and therefore was not in a position to address claims it had not reviewed.
The organization also said responsibility for the venue, stage and on-site safety rested with local host and production entities.
Miss Universe said it nevertheless stepped in to cover Henry’s hospital expenses in Thailand and later paid for specialized treatment after she returned to Jamaica. It also said it offered Henry a role as a goodwill ambassador.
There has also been disagreement over exactly what caused the fall.
A Miss Grand International representative previously told PEOPLE that Henry had missed her blocking and described the runway as clearly marked.
But a December 2025 joint statement from Henry’s family and Miss Universe rejected reports suggesting Henry was responsible for the accident.
Henry has spent much of the past year recovering.
She made a public appearance in Atlanta in May and later returned to the Miss Universe Jamaica stage in August to crown her successor.