The drama continues surrounding the staging of the 75th Miss Universe Pageant in Puerto Rico, with MU East now challenging the corporate authority behind documents recently presented to the Puerto Rico Tourism Company (PRTC).

In a public statement issued September 23, MU East said it remains committed to the successful staging of the pageant but disputed the sufficiency and corporate authority of the documents presented to PRTC concerning the representation of JKN Universe LLC.

MU East said JKN Legacy Inc. is equally owned by MU East and MU West and is the sole member of JKN Universe LLC, the Delaware company doing business as the Miss Universe Organization.

The company said neither MU East nor its authorised representatives reviewed, approved or consented to the authorisation documents recently presented to PRTC.

The disputed agreements are public records and identify JKN Universe LLC as a Delaware limited liability company.

MU East said it has not been provided with a duly approved sole-member resolution authorising the authority claimed in the documents.

“An officer’s title alone should not be treated as unlimited authority to bind the company,” MU East said, adding that claimed authority should be independently verified against corporate resolutions and other governing records, particularly where government agreements, public funds or substantial financial commitments are involved.

MU East also raised questions about a similarly named Texas entity, saying it was not aware of any properly approved corporate document establishing that the entity forms part of the official Miss Universe corporate structure or has authority to represent or bind JKN Universe LLC.

The company urged PRTC and other parties involved in the pageant to verify any disputed authorisation, contract, representation or payment instruction before relying on them.

MU East is also calling for greater transparency from PRTC regarding the corporate approvals and authorisation records used in connection with the event.

It said the request is intended to protect public funds, commercial partners and the integrity of the pageant, not to disrupt, postpone or cancel the event.

MU East said it has served formal legal notices and initiated the applicable dispute-resolution process. The contractual cure period and related proceedings remain ongoing.

The company said it will present its evidence through the appropriate legal channels and respect the outcome of the process.

“Our objective remains clear: to support a successful 75th Miss Universe Pageant conducted with transparency, proper authority and integrity,” MU East said.