R'Bonney Gabriel

R'Bonney Gabriel
Gabriel in 2023.
Born
R'Bonney Nola Gabriel

(1994-03-20) March 20, 1994 (age 30)
Houston, Texas, U.S.
EducationUniversity of North Texas (BFA)
Height1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[1]
Beauty pageant titleholder
Title
Hair colorBrown[1]
Eye colorHazel[1]
Major
competition(s)
  • Miss Texas USA 2021
  • (1st Runner-Up)
  • Miss Texas USA 2022
  • (Winner)
  • Miss USA 2022
  • (Winner)
  • Miss Universe 2022
  • (Winner)
Websiterbonneynola.com

R'Bonney Nola Gabriel (Tagalog: [ˈʔaɹbɔni gɐˈbɾjɛl]; born March 20, 1994) is an American beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss Universe 2022, becoming the ninth competitor from the US to win the title, as well as the oldest entrant. She previously won Miss USA 2022.

Early life and education

[edit]

R'Bonney Nola Gabriel[2] was born in Houston, Texas, to a Filipino father, Remigio Bonzon "R. Bon" Gabriel, and an American mother, Dana Walker, who were married in the Philippines.[3] She grew up in Missouri City and later in Friendswood,[4] with three older brothers. Her father was born in the Philippines and is from Malate, Manila.[5] He immigrated to Washington at the age of 25, later receiving a degree in psychology at the University of Houston, and then opening a car repair shop.[6][7][8] Her mother is from Beaumont.[9] Gabriel spent some time in Manila during her childhood playing in the streets, playing tong-its, and watching the parade of Filipino fiestas. She and her family have continued to visit the Philippines during holidays and summer vacations, going back and living in Malate, on the same street where her father is from.[10]

Gabriel graduated from the University of North Texas with a bachelor's degree in fashion design with a minor in fibers.[11][12] She works as a designer creating eco-friendly clothing, and as a model.[9] She has worked as a sewing instructor at a non-profit.[13]

Pageantry

[edit]

Gabriel's first pageant was Miss Kemah USA 2020, where she reached the top five finalists.[14] She competed at Miss Texas USA 2021 as Miss Harris County and was the first runner-up to Victoria Hinojosa of McAllen.[15]

Miss USA 2022

[edit]
Main article: Miss USA 2022

Having won Miss Texas USA 2022, she went on to win Miss USA 2022,[16][17] becoming the first Miss USA of Filipino descent.[18][19][20] Gabriel became the second titleholder from Texas, after Chelsi Smith, to win the Miss Universe title. Smith was Miss Universe in 1995.[21]

After the event, allegations emerged that the competition had been rigged for Gabriel to win. It was claimed that Gabriel traveled to Nizuc Resort and Spa in Cancún weeks after Gabriel was crowned Miss Texas USA and was able to shoot promotional material, which the resort's Instagram account posted less than 24 hours after the final competition. Nizuc has become one of the pageant's sponsors since national director and Miss USA 2008 Crystle Stewart took over at the end of 2020 after Miss USA and Miss Teen USA were separated from the Miss Universe Organization until her suspension.[22] Both Gabriel and Miss Colorado USA Alexis Glover were not included in the official Cancún retreat along with the rest of the contestants as Texas and Colorado had not yet crowned at the time of the retreat.[23][24] In an interview with E! News, Gabriel refuted claims that the pageant was rigged. She stated, "I would never enter any pageant or any competition that I know I would win".[25]

Miss Universe 2022

[edit]
Main article: Miss Universe 2022

As Miss USA 2022, she represented the United States at the Miss Universe 2022 pageant on January 14, 2023, at the New Orleans Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, after being postponed from late 2022 to January 2023 due to the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

She was crowned Miss Universe 2022 by the outgoing titleholder Harnaaz Sandhu of India, making her the ninth American to win the beauty pageant. She is also the sixth mixed-heritage woman to win the Miss Universe title after Chelsi Smith at Miss Universe 1995, Brook Lee at Miss Universe 1997, Pia Wurtzbach at Miss Universe 2015, Demi-Leigh Tebow at Miss Universe 2017, and Catriona Gray at Miss Universe 2018, as well as the fifth Miss Universe of Filipino descent as well as the first Filipina Miss Universe outside the Philippines.[26][27] Her victory also made her the first representative from the United States to win Miss Universe since Olivia Culpo at Miss Universe 2012.[28][29][30] She is also the first Miss Universe titleholder to be born and raised in the Greater Houston area.[30] Additionally, she is the second Asian American woman to win the Miss Universe title since Brook Lee at Miss Universe 1997, and also the oldest winner at 28 years old, succeeding Andrea Meza of Mexico.

In her capacity as Miss Universe, Gabriel traveled to Indonesia,[31] Thailand,[32] Malaysia, Vietnam,[33] the Philippines,[34] Guatemala,[35] the Netherlands,[36] South Africa,[37] Honduras,[38] Belize,[39] Mexico,[40] France, El Salvador, and her home country of the United States.[41]

On November 18, 2023, Gabriel crowned Sheynnis Palacios of Nicaragua as her successor at Miss Universe 2023 at the José Adolfo Pineda Arena, San Salvador, El Salvador.[42]

Further reading

[edit]
  • "R'Bonney Gabriel: articles". Manila Bulletin. Archived from the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  • "R'Bonney Gabriel: articles". The Philippine Star. Archived from the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2023.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "R'Bonney Gabriel". Neil Hamil Agency. Archived from the original on January 18, 2023. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
  2. ^ "La modelo R'Bonney Nola Gabriel de Estados Unidos se corona como Miss Universo 2023". El Universal (Mexico City) (in Spanish). Mexico City. January 14, 2023. Archived from the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  3. ^ Medel, Meryl (January 16, 2023). "Miss Universe 2022 R'Bonney Gabriel's Filipino Dad Was Sure of Her Win". 8List.ph. Archived from the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  4. ^ Fountain, Ken (January 15, 2023). "Missouri City native R'Bonney Gabriel named Miss Universe". Fort Bend Star. Archived from the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  5. ^ Yap, Jade Veronique (June 6, 2024). "R'Bonney Gabriel gives a tour of dad's childhood home in Manila". GMA Integrated News. Archived from the original on June 7, 2024. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
  6. ^ Vergara, Alex (January 15, 2023). "Half-Filipino, half-American from Texas is new Miss Universe". PeopleAsia. Archived from the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  7. ^ Maines, Don (July 7, 2022). "Houston-area woman reflects on historic win as the first Filipina-American crowned Miss Texas USA". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  8. ^ "R'Bonney Gabriel is Miss Universe 2022". Pilipino Express. Winnipeg, Manitoba. January 16, 2023. Archived from the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  9. ^ a b Maines, Don (September 23, 2022). "How R'Bonney Gabriel, first Filipina American to win Miss Texas, is readying for shot at Miss USA". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on October 4, 2022. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
  10. ^ "R'Bonney Gabriel reminisces on her childhood as she visits dad's home street in Manila". GMA News Online. May 16, 2023. Archived from the original on May 18, 2023. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  11. ^ "R'Bonney Gabriel, a UNT graduate, crowned as the new Miss Universe". Dallas News. January 15, 2023. Archived from the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  12. ^ "Fashion Design alumna R'Bonney Gabriel wins Miss USA 2022". College of Visual Arts and Design, University of North Texas. Archived from the original on February 4, 2023. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
  13. ^ Perez, Mariane (January 15, 2023). "R'Bonney Gabriel Wins Miss Universe 2022". vogue.ph. Archived from the original on February 3, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  14. ^ Maines, Don (July 31, 2020). "Clear Falls cheerleader wins Miss Kemah Teen". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on October 4, 2022. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
  15. ^ "Results – Miss – 2021 | Miss Texas USA & Miss Texas Teen USA". Archived from the original on January 16, 2023. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
  16. ^ "For the first time, Texas represented by Asian American women in Miss USA and Miss America pageants". ABC News. Good Morning America. Archived from the original on October 4, 2022. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
  17. ^ Diaz, John (July 4, 2022). "First Filipina crowned Miss Texas USA". KHOU-TV. Archived from the original on September 29, 2022. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
  18. ^ "Averie Bishop and R'Bonney Gabriel – win Miss USA, Miss America pageant". ManipurSana. October 4, 2022. Archived from the original on October 4, 2022. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
  19. ^ "Miss USA 2022 R'Bonney Gabriel Responds to Allegation Her Win Was "Rigged"". E! Online. October 7, 2022. Archived from the original on January 20, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  20. ^ "Fil-Am beauty queen crowned Miss USA 2022". Manila Bulletin. October 4, 2022. Archived from the original on October 4, 2022. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
  21. ^ Munce, Megan (January 15, 2023). "R'Bonney Gabriel of Friendswood, first Filipina Miss Texas and Miss USA, wins Miss Universe". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on March 20, 2023. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
  22. ^ Chung, Gabrielle (October 6, 2022). "Miss USA 2022 R'Bonney Gabriel Responds to Allegation Her Win Was "Rigged"". E!. Archived from the original on January 20, 2023. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
  23. ^ Kao, Brooke (October 6, 2022). "Contestants claim Miss USA 2022 was 'rigged': 'We were humiliated'". The New York Post. Archived from the original on October 13, 2022. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
  24. ^ "Pageant world implodes amid claims Miss USA was 'rigged'".
  25. ^ "Miss USA 2022 R'Bonney Gabriel Responds to Allegation Her Win Was "Rigged"". E! Online. October 7, 2022. Archived from the original on January 20, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  26. ^ "Mixed-heritage Filipina winners of Miss Universe, from R'Bonney Gabriel to Pia Wurtzbach". The National News. January 16, 2023. Archived from the original on June 3, 2023. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
  27. ^ "'We are very proud of you': Pia Wurtzbach, Catriona Gray send messages of support to Celeste Cortesi". The Philippine Star. January 16, 2023. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
  28. ^ "The moment you've been waiting for… The #71stMISSUNIVERSE Competition is heading to… NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA! 🇺🇸". Instagram. Archived from the original on October 21, 2022. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
  29. ^ Bracamonte, Earl (September 19, 2022). "Miss Universe 2022 reveals date, venue; confirms moms, wives can join". The Philippine Star. Archived from the original on September 26, 2022. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
  30. ^ a b "Miss USA 2022 Winner: R'Bonney Gabriel — Miss Texas Wins". TVLine. October 4, 2022. Archived from the original on October 4, 2022. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
  31. ^ pebri (February 26, 2023). "R'Bonney Gabriel, Miss Universe 2022 - Impressed on Bali". OBSERVER. Archived from the original on July 7, 2023. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  32. ^ "Miss Universe 2022 R'Bonney Gabriel arrives in Thailand as part of her Asian tour". GMA News Online. February 12, 2023. Archived from the original on February 17, 2023. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
  33. ^ "Báo VietnamNet". VietNamNet News (in Vietnamese). Archived from the original on July 7, 2023. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  34. ^ Tusing, David (May 11, 2023). "Miss Universe R'Bonney Gabriel in the Philippines for the first time since her win". The National. Archived from the original on July 7, 2023. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  35. ^ "R'Bonney Gabriel pays a visit to the patients of Smile Train in Guatemala City - Beauty Pageants - Indiatimes". Femina Miss India. Archived from the original on September 29, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  36. ^ Malach, Hannah (July 10, 2023). "Miss Universe R'Bonney Gabriel Crowns First Transgender Winner of Miss Netherlands". WWD. Archived from the original on July 27, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  37. ^ Naidoo, Alicia (August 15, 2023). "Exclusive: Miss Universe R'Bonney Gabriel on visiting South Africa". The South African. Archived from the original on September 29, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  38. ^ "Miss Universe Sails to Mahogany Bay in Roatan on Carnival Vista". Insider Travel Report. Archived from the original on September 29, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  39. ^ "Belize welcomes Miss Universe 2022, Miss Aruba and Miss El Salvador | Loop Caribbean News". Loop News. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  40. ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Archived from the original on September 29, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  41. ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  42. ^ Purnell, Kristofer. "Sheynnis Palacios of Nicaragua wins Miss Universe 2023, first for her country". Philstar.com. Archived from the original on November 19, 2023. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
[edit]
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Miss Universe
2022 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Miss USA
2022 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Victoria Hinojosa
 Miss Texas USA
2022 		Succeeded by
Allison Drake
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