Miss USA 2022 Winner Addresses "RIGGED" Pageant Claims

Miss USA R'Bonney Gabriel is defending her caller crown.

Over the weekend, the Texas autochthonal succeeded the much-coveted title from past year's winner, Elle Smith, during a ceremonial astatine the Grand Sierra Resort successful Reno, Nev. But soon aft her large win, speculations R'Bonney whitethorn person had an unfair vantage surfaced online—with Miss Montana Heather Lee O'Keefe saying she had spoken with her chap competitors and alleged that "most of the Miss USA contestants consciousness precise powerfully that determination was favoritism towards Miss Texas USA and we person the receipts to beryllium it."

Responding to the allegations, R'Bonney exclusively told Erin Lim Rhodes on E! News' The Rundown that the pageant "was not rigged."

"I would ne'er participate immoderate pageant oregon immoderate contention that I cognize I would win," she continued connected the Oct. 6 episode. "I person a batch of integrity."

In winning Miss USA 2022, R'Bonney made past by becoming the archetypal Filipino-American pistillate to instrumentality location the title. The exemplary and manner decorator is besides the first-ever Asian-American pistillate to person been named Miss Texas USA.

R'Bonney told The Rundown she has not spoken to Heather astir her claims, though she's "open to talking to her astir it."

"I would emotion to pass with her due to the fact that I deliberation there's a batch of allegations that are coming up that aren't true, and radical are starring to conclusions that conscionable simply aren't true," R'Bonney said. "I privation to beryllium transparent, and I privation everybody to cognize that determination was nary unfair vantage and thing was rigged."

In an Instagram Live video on Oct. 5, Heather explained that the walk-off was not planned and that she and her chap contestants "are not coming retired against R'Bonney" successful voicing their pageant experience.

"We privation to marque it precise wide that we are not successful immoderate mode attacking R'Bonney arsenic a person," she said, adding aboriginal successful the hour-long video, "Nothing against the miss who won Miss USA. We person nary hard feelings against her. It is not her fault. These are our issues that we are bringing up with the enactment arsenic a whole."

Refuting claims that the sponsor successful question had flown her retired to a Cancun edifice arsenic preferential attraction implicit different Miss USA contestants, R'Bonney said she paid for the formation herself and changeable a promotional video determination arsenic Miss Texas USA. R'Bonney besides clarified that a viral photograph of Miss USA president Crystle Stewart doing her hair—which immoderate radical person been purporting arsenic impervious of collusion—was shot after she had won the pageant.

"Unfortunately, it looks similar that happened possibly earlier I won," she said, "but that was my authoritative Miss USA headshot photograph sprout aft I won."

And though her crowning accomplishment has been questioned by skeptics, R'Bonney is keeping her caput held high. "I'm very, precise blessed and thankful for my win," she said. "As Miss USA, I'm conscionable looking guardant to advocating for what I love."

E! News reached retired to the Miss USA pageant but did not person comment.

To perceive much from R'Bonney, cheque retired The Rundown connected Snapchat.