Melissa Ingraham

Melissa Ingraham (born 26 March 1997) is a Bahamian model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Universe Bahamas 2023 and represented her country at Miss Universe 2023. Ingraham stated that the organization failed to fulfill commitments outlined in her contractual agreement and that she experienced limited assistance during her participation in the 72nd Miss Universe pageant in El Salvador. According to her public statements, she was responsible for coordinating many of her public appearances and managing social media activities, and reported deficiencies in wardrobe preparation and logistical support. O’Brian indicated that she had previously submitted a formal complaint to the Miss Universe Organization but that no corrective action had been taken. Former queens Tarea Sturrup and Angel Cartwright had also raised concerns in prior years regarding management and support, contributing to what the media described as an ongoing controversy surrounding the franchise.

Following Ingraham’s resignation, O’Brian and Ingraham issued a joint statement calling on the government of The Bahamas and the Miss Universe Organisation to initiate a formal investigation into the operations, ethics and financial management of the local franchise. In response, legal representatives for the Miss Bahamas Universe Organization issued a public warning that defamatory statements could result in legal action. The organisation denied any wrongdoing and did not substantively address the specific allegations.

The Miss Bahamas Universe Organisation subsequently announced that first runner-up Taja Hudson would assume the title for the remainder of the 2023/24 term.