R'Bonney Gabriel has been named Miss Universe 2022, becoming the first Filipina-American to win the crown.
On her journey to beauty pageant glory in the Miss Texas and then Miss USA competitions, Gabriel, aged 28, has always believed in one thing: the importance of embracing her true self.
The model and fashion designer has always proudly spoken about her mixed heritage. She even wore a dress inspired by her Filipino ancestry to the Miss Texas interview.
“I feel at peace knowing I have put in the work to develop into the truest form of myself. I’ve learnt the importance of embracing who I am,” she said on Instagram, wearing an outfit she designed herself, inspired by the Filipiniana dress, usually characterised by oversized sleeves.
The beauty queen said she represents Texans, Filipina-Americans and those who push past self-doubt "to reach their greatest potential".
Gabriel was crowned Miss Texas in July, earning her a spot in the Miss USA contest.
"Representing Texas is my biggest honour. I carry the pride and love of Texas and Filipina-Americans on my shoulders," she said following her win.
She then beat 49 other candidates to the Miss USA 2022 crown. Earlier in the evening, Gabriel also won Best National Costume, with her look inspired by the Texas state flower, the bluebonnet, and created by Filipino designer Patrick Isorena.
During Miss Universe, she represented her home state in the national dress round, while also choosing to showcase her home state Houston's space credentials.
Called Woman on the Moon, Gabriel's costume by Isorena is an ode to Nasa's mission to send the first woman to the moon.
"As a Houston native, where the Nasa space centre is located, I am proud to be from a city working to send the first female to the moon. The purpose of this costume was to inspire women in all spaces across the universe to dream big, shoot for the moon and achieve something out of this world," Gabriel, 28, wrote on Instagram ahead of the competition.
Who is R'Bonney Gabriel?
Born to a Filipino father and an American mother in San Antonio, Texas, Gabriel is a model and fashion designer who runs her own label R'Bonney Nola.
She is 170 centimetres tall and graduated from the University of North Texas.
Following her win, she said she now feels a “big responsibility” to share her multicultural background and empower others to embrace their identities.
"My dad moved to America from the Philippines on a college scholarship with about $20 in his pocket. He wanted to pave a new life for himself. He met my mom in Texas, who is a country woman from Beaumont,” she told ABC News. “I'm a very proud Filipina Texan."
When questioned on how she would work to demonstrate Miss Universe as an empowering and progressive organisation, Gabriel answered: “I I would use it to be a transformational leader. As a very passionate designer, sewing for 13 years, I use fashion as a force for good in my industry.
“I'm cutting down on pollution through recycled materials and when I make my clothing, I teach sewing classes to women that have survived human trafficking and domestic violence.
"I say that it is so important to invest in others, invest in our community and use your unique talent to make a difference.
“We all have something special and when we plant those seeds to other people in our life, we transform them and we use that as a vehicle for change.”
A love for beauty pageants
Like many Filipinos, Gabriel has always been interested in pageantry.
Her journey with beauty contests began when she took part in the Miss Friendswood competition in 2021. Gabriel is from Friendswood, a city on the outskirts of Houston. She then participated in Miss Texas 2021, finishing second after winner Victoria Hinojosa.
Not one to give up easily, Gabriel participated again in Miss Texas 2022 in July.
Gabriel is passionate about the environment, which is also reflected in her eco-friendly fashion label.
For the question and answer round at Miss USA, she was asked about what she would do to help address the issue of climate change and how women are more vulnerable to its impact, particularly in developing countries.
"I am a fashion designer. I actually made the outfit I'm wearing and I upcycle pieces and recycle different clothing to be more sustainable in my industry because I feel like it's my duty," Gabriel said. "So I think that's something we can all look for in our certain industries and in our homes — to be more sustainable."
Allegations Miss USA was 'rigged'
In October, after Gabriel won Miss USA, Miss Montana Heather Lee O’Keefe took to TikTok to claim the contest was unfair and shared her theories along with it.
In a series of videos, O’Keefe claimed some of the competition’s practices were suspicious and that other pageant contestants feel the same way, which may explain why viewers noticed some beauty queens immediately walk off after Gabriel was crowned instead of giving the traditional congratulatory hugs.
"Bottom line is, most of the Miss USA contestants feel very strongly that there was favouritism towards Miss Texas USA and we have the receipts to prove it," she claimed in a TikTok video.
"The current allegations are based on perception, and not the truth," Gabriel told People. "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," she said.
Miss Universe Organisation also responded, saying in an Instagram Story: "We are aware of the concerns that have been brought forth by this year's Miss USA contestants. We commend the women for bringing these issues to our attention and will always be an organisation that encourages women to use their voice."
"There are existing systems in place to ensure the fairness of our national competitions and as such we have begun an active review into this situation."
Mixed-race Filipinas at Miss Universe
For Miss Universe, Gabriel went up against Celeste Cortesi, who was crowned Miss Universe Philippines 2022 in a ceremony at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila in April.
Cortesi, 24, is Filipino-Italian. She was raised in Italy before moving to the Philippines five years ago to pursue a career in pageantry.
Two mixed-race Filipinos have won the Miss Universe crown in the past, both for the Philippines. Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach is Filipino-German while Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray is Filipino-Australian.
Scroll through the gallery below for some of the Miss Universe 2022 contestants
A version of this article was published on October 4, 2022
Porsche Taycan Turbo specs
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Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
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The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The biog
Born: Kuwait in 1986
Family: She is the youngest of seven siblings
Time in the UAE: 10 years
Hobbies: audiobooks and fitness: she works out every day, enjoying kickboxing and basketball
More on animal trafficking
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
The Old Slave and the Mastiff
Patrick Chamoiseau
Translated from the French and Creole by Linda Coverdale
OPINIONS ON PALESTINE & ISRAEL
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Defenders: Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham), Thomas Meunier (Paris Saint-Germain), Thomas Vermaelen (Barcelona), Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham), Dedryck Boyata (Celtic), Vincent Kompany (Manchester City).
Midfielders: Marouane Fellaini (Manchester United), Axel Witsel (Tianjin Quanjian), Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City), Eden Hazard (Chelsea), Nacer Chadli (West Bromwich Albion), Leander Dendoncker (Anderlecht), Thorgan Hazard (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Youri Tielemans (Monaco), Mousa Dembele (Tottenham Hotspur).
Forwards: Michy Batshuayi (Chelsea/Dortmund), Yannick Carrasco (Dalian Yifang), Adnan Januzaj (Real Sociedad), Romelu Lukaku (Manchester United), Dries Mertens (Napoli).
Standby player: Laurent Ciman (Los Angeles FC).
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The specs
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The specs: Macan Turbo
Engine: Dual synchronous electric motors
Power: 639hp
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Company profile
Date started: Founded in May 2017 and operational since April 2018
Founders: co-founder and chief executive, Doaa Aref; Dr Rasha Rady, co-founder and chief operating officer.
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: Health-tech
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Investors: Flat6labs, 500 Falcons, three angel investors
Cricket World Cup League Two
Oman, UAE, Namibia
Al Amerat, Muscat
Results
Oman beat UAE by five wickets
UAE beat Namibia by eight runs
Fixtures
Wednesday January 8 –Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 – Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 – UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
BMW%20M4%20Competition
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PULITZER PRIZE 2020 WINNERS
JOURNALISM
Public Service
Anchorage Daily News in collaboration with ProPublica
Breaking News Reporting
Staff of The Courier-Journal, Louisville, Ky.
Investigative Reporting
Brian M. Rosenthal of The New York Times
Explanatory Reporting
Staff of The Washington Post
Local Reporting
Staff of The Baltimore Sun
National Reporting
T. Christian Miller, Megan Rose and Robert Faturechi of ProPublica
and
Dominic Gates, Steve Miletich, Mike Baker and Lewis Kamb of The Seattle Times
International Reporting
Staff of The New York Times
Feature Writing
Ben Taub of The New Yorker
Commentary
Nikole Hannah-Jones of The New York Times
Criticism
Christopher Knight of the Los Angeles Times
Editorial Writing
Jeffery Gerritt of the Palestine (Tx.) Herald-Press
Editorial Cartooning
Barry Blitt, contributor, The New Yorker
Breaking News Photography
Photography Staff of Reuters
Feature Photography
Channi Anand, Mukhtar Khan and Dar Yasin of the Associated Press
Audio Reporting
Staff of This American Life with Molly O’Toole of the Los Angeles Times and Emily Green, freelancer, Vice News for “The Out Crowd”
LETTERS AND DRAMA
Fiction
"The Nickel Boys" by Colson Whitehead (Doubleday)
Drama
"A Strange Loop" by Michael R. Jackson
History
"Sweet Taste of Liberty: A True Story of Slavery and Restitution in America" by W. Caleb McDaniel (Oxford University Press)
Biography
"Sontag: Her Life and Work" by Benjamin Moser (Ecco/HarperCollins)
Poetry
"The Tradition" by Jericho Brown (Copper Canyon Press)
General Nonfiction
"The Undying: Pain, Vulnerability, Mortality, Medicine, Art, Time, Dreams, Data, Exhaustion, Cancer, and Care" by Anne Boyer (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
and
"The End of the Myth: From the Frontier to the Border Wall in the Mind of America" by Greg Grandin (Metropolitan Books)
Music
"The Central Park Five" by Anthony Davis, premiered by Long Beach Opera on June 15, 2019
Special Citation
Ida B. Wells
