R’Bonney Gabriel
@MissTXUSA Twitter
Words by Samantha Pak
Following a historic win on Oct. 3, in which she became the first Filipina American Miss USA in the pageant’s 70-year history, R’Bonney Gabriel is addressing allegations that the competition was rigged in her favor.
“It was not rigged because I would never enter any pageant or any competition that I know I would win,” she told E! News.
Allegations have come from fellow contestants, despite the fact that Gabriel claims she got along with the other women. Heather Lee O’Keefe, Miss Montana USA, has posted videos on her TikTok about things she described as “a little suspect,” such as sponsors posting videos of Gabriel using their services within 24 hours of her win, and the pageant’s owner favoring Gabriel. In addition, Miss Alabama USA Katelyn Vinson has said she “never stood a chance” of winning because the pageant results were predetermined. Gabriel told E! News those sponsors also sponsored Miss Texas USA and that she was a brand ambassador as a result of her winning that title (also as the first Filipina American).
@heatherleeokeefe @Jas but wait… there’s more!!! 🐸 ☕️ #missusa #missusa2022 #missusascandal #pageantryreimagined #rbonneygabriel #misstexasusa ♬ original sound - Heather Lee O’Keefe, J.D.
The 28-year-old, whose father is Filipino and mother is white, will compete in the Miss Universe pageant in January 2023, in New Orleans. Will she be able to enjoy it without controversy? That remains to be seen.
For generations, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have been seen as foreigners, told to “go back to where we came from.” Having a member of our community representing the United States on the world stage shows that we’re just as part of this country and belong here just as much as any other group (read: white people).
If the competition is rigged, Gabriel is just a victim of a broken system and shouldn’t be held singularly accountable.
“As a titleholder and as Miss USA, I don’t want girls to think that this is how pageantry works,” she told E! News. “This is to celebrate women. We work very hard and I have respect for all the women who showed up on that stage.”
Published on October 11, 2022
Words by Samantha Pak
Samantha Pak (she/her) is an award-winning Cambodian American journalist from the Seattle area and assistant editor for JoySauce. She spends more time than she’ll admit shopping for books than actually reading them, and has made it her mission to show others how amazing Southeast Asian people are. Follow her on Twitter at @iam_sammi and on Instagram at @sammi.pak.