Fil-Am Miss USA 2022 responds to accusations of rigging by other contestants
Miss USA 2022 R’Bonney Gabriel has responded to claims by other contestants that the pageant was rigged in her favor, confirming suspicions by fans that the other competitors were displeased with the results.
Miss Montana speaks out
Since her win on Oct. 3, contestants such as Miss Montana Heather Lee O’Keefe, Miss New York Heather Nunez, and Miss Alabama Katelyn Vinson spoke out about this year’s competition, saying that Gabriel had an unfair advantage.
In a now-viral TikTok, O’Keefe alleged that she and other contestants felt that “there was favoritism towards Miss Texas USA and we have the receipts to prove it.”
@heatherleeokeefe Replying to @dridge97 ♬ original sound – Heather Lee O’Keefe, J.D.
“We are putting our titles on the line, putting our reputations of the line. That’s how strongly we feel about believing and standing up for what is right,” O’Keefe said in an an Instagram Live on Wednesday last week.
O’Keefe also cited the video posted by NIZUC Resort & Spa showing Gabriel enjoying an all-inclusive spa visit in Mexico as one of the winner’s prizes – less than 24 hours after she won.
“@MissUSA was crowned less than 24 hours ago, yet she already got her sponsored vacation to @NIZUCResort,” she wrote. “Are you kidding me? I was giving y’all the benefit of the doubt, but this is just embarrassing at this point.”
O’Keefe then went on to state that one of the judges for the Miss USA pageant is the founder of MIA Beaute, a company affiliated with NIZUC. The founder also posted a photo of Miss Texas on his Instagram story.
O’Keefe further claimed that the president of the tournament helped Gabriel train and even did the candidate’s hair weeks before the contest.
Crystle Stewart, the president of the Miss USA organization, was also shown in a photo shared by O’Keefe doing Gabriel’s hair. Stewart also had a pageant coaching firm called Miss Academy, which Gabriel reportedly attended before the pageant.
O’Keefe also stated that Gabriel was the only candidate on the official Miss USA page, giving the other contestants less exposure and putting them at a disadvantage.
Miss New York shares her thoughts with fans
Nunez also shared her feelings on the controversy in her Instagram Stories, saying that she felt “humiliated” by the organizers of the competition.
“I am lost for words,” the Miss New York 2021 winner said. “The way I entered this pageant and gave it every last bit of my heart and soul… we were humiliated, thinking we entered something with a fair chance.”
She went on to state that she’s “not here to create a sob story,” and that she wants to “prevent future contestants from feeling the way that I do.”
Miss Alabama addresses her experience post-Miss USA 2022
“It’s crushing and heartbreaking to have worked so hard towards a goal only to realize you never stood a chance,” Vinson wrote on social media after Monday’s result, according to E! News.
Fans’ suspicions after the pageant
Speculation erupted amongst viewers and fans of Miss USA when the other contestants abruptly exited the stage after Gabriel won, leaving the champion alone.
In a TikTok video by former Miss USA contestant Jasmine Jones, she stated that the sudden exit was “suspicous” as runner-ups traditionally congratulated the winner after she was crowned.
@callmejas0 Part 3! #greenscreenvideo #pageantry #missusa #2022 #crowning #sketch #fyp #part3 #OverwatchMe ♬ original sound – Jas
R’Bonney Gabriel’s response
During an Oct. 6 appearance on E! News: The Rundown, Gabriel addressed O’Keefe’s allegations by stating that she personally paid to fly herself to Mexico for a promotional video as Miss Texas USA.
“I would love to communicate with her,” Gabriel said. “There’s a lot of allegations that are coming up that aren’t true, and people are leading to conclusions that just simply aren’t true.”
In a statement to PEOPLE magazine, Gabriel told the publication, “The current allegations are based on perception, and not the truth. I would never want to enter a competition that was rigged.”
“I know all of the contestants worked really hard to prepare and I don’t want these allegations to overshadow the accomplishments of all the women who participated in this year’s Miss USA competition,” the Miss USA 2022 winner went on to state. “I know how hard every woman worked and I want their efforts to also be acknowledged.”
“At this time, I am excited to move forward with training for Miss Universe and all of the opportunities that the Miss USA Organization will provide, while expanding on my personal platform for sustainable fashion and advocating for charity partners Best Buddies and Smile Train.”
Miss USA Organization’s response
Crystle Stewart, the president of the Miss USA Organization, also responded to allegations by the other contestants, stating to PEOPLE magazine, “As the first African American woman in this leadership role I take this position with all seriousness and regard.”
“When I won Miss Texas USA, Miss USA and more recently, became President of the Miss USA Organization many women of color were inspired and filled with hope,” Stewart wrote. “I would not do not anything, such as ‘rig a competition’ that I fought so hard for. The allegations against the Miss USA Organization are misleading and against everything I stand for personally and professionally.”
“I hope the Class of 2022 will embrace this historical win and try to understand my mission and vision for the Miss USA Organization; which is to provide resources, experiences, and opportunities to be productive and successful women,” Stewart added. “This is how I imagine pageantry.”
The Future
In her Instagram Live on Oct. 5, O’Keefe said that the contestants “are not in any way attacking R’Bonney as a person” and that they “have no hard feelings against her.”
“It is not her fault. These are our issues that we are bringing up with the organization as a whole,” O’Keefe stated.
According to O’Keefe, the Miss USA Class of 2021 already filed a lawsuit against the organizers of the pageant, but she did not provide further details.
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