Push Admin

Amidst pageant controversy, R'Bonney Gabriel back in Texas after winning Miss USA

Article (news)

Cheryl Piccio | TFC News Houston

<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/m7UolY85uxA?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>Newly crowned Miss USA R&#x27;Bonney Gabriel returned to her hometown of Houston for the first time since winning the crown.In her first public appearance back in the city, Gabriel visited one of the largest Filipino festivals in the country, the Houston Filipino Street Festival, as a special guest.&quot;This is actually my first festival back in Houston, My first event. The weather is beautiful. Everyone is so warm and welcoming the energy is amazing. I love it,&quot; Gabriel said.Gabriel took the stage for a crowd-pleasing interview, and a special serenade by the Philippines’ Concert King, Martin Nievera. Gabriel described the event as a memorable experience.&quot;I&#x27;ve never done that before so that was a great fun experience. The crowd was loving it. I was loving it. It was special.&quot;This year&#x27;s Miss USA contest has been engulfed in controversy for the past several weeks. The drama began on coronation night, when a number of Gabriel’s fellow contestants abruptly walked off the stage as she accepted her roses and donned her tiara and sash. Shortly after, allegations of favoritism and rigging made by Miss Montana Heather Lee O”Keefe on TikTok, went viral on social media. Miss USA president, Crystle Stewart, has been suspended pending an independent investigation by the Miss Universe Organization.&quot;It&#x27;s unfortunate because it&#x27;s not the truth. But you have to stand firm in your truth. I know who I am and I know I worked very hard for this and I wouldn&#x27;t let anyone take that away from me. I know my truth at the end of the day,&quot; Gabriel noted.&quot;For me to be an example to show people what you can do through adversity, through people saying negative comments, and still stand strong as Miss USA, that&#x27;s the message I want to share with everybody. That if you know who you are in your truth, and my year will show that I deserve to be Miss USA. I take this as a great, great, honor and I’m going to be working hard this whole year.&quot;Gabriel added that the contestants are all under enormous pressure, having spent years of work and thousands of dollars — to compete. She said she understands the frustration.&quot;Everybody competes for Miss USA and it&#x27;s such a sensitive, passionate competition. Girls put a lot of work into it. So everybody has their favorites, but only unfortunately one girl can win.&quot;On top of her Miss USA duties, Gabriel is also busy preparing for the upcoming Miss Universe pageant.But despite the pressure, she is looking forward to the experience and making new friends as well as meeting Miss Universe Philippines Celeste Cortesi.&quot;I&#x27;m gonna tell her, &#x27;girl, we need to take a photo.&#x27; Because everyone will love that. We actually follow each other on Instagram, so I guess we&#x27;re both looking at each other and I&#x27;m always hearing about her, so I&#x27;m really looking forward to meeting her in person,&quot; Gabriel said of Cortesi.The Miss Universe pageant will be held in New Orleans on January 14, 2023.

The Fil-Am beauty queen also shared how she is coping with the swirl of controversy surrounding the recent Miss USA pageant.