R'Bonney Gabriel

R'Bonney Gabriel
R'Bonney Nola Gabriel (born March 20, 1994) is an American fashion designer, model and beauty queen who was crowned Miss Universe 2022 becoming the ninth delegate from the United States to win the title, as well as the oldest entrant to be crowned, succeeding Harnaaz Sandhu of India. Gabriel was previously crowned as Miss USA 2022.
Early life and education
R'Bonney Nola Gabriel 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. She grew up in Missouri City, and later in Friendswood, with three older brothers. Her father was born in the Philippines and is from Manila, immigrating to Washington state at the age of 25, later receiving a degree in psychology at the University of Houston, and then opening a car repair shop. Her mother is from Beaumont. 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.
Gabriel graduated from the University of North Texas with a bachelor's degree in fashion design with a minor in fibers. She works as a designer creating eco-friendly clothing, and as a model. She has worked as a sewing instructor at a non-profit.
Pageantry
Gabriel's first pageant was Miss Kemah USA 2020, where she was placed in the top five finalists. She competed at Miss Texas USA 2021 as Miss Harris County and was the first runner-up to Victoria Hinojosa of McAllen.
Miss USA 2022
Having won Miss Texas USA 2022, she went on to win Miss USA 2022, becoming the first Miss USA of Filipino descent. Gabriel became the second titleholder from Texas, after Chelsi Smith, to win the Miss Universe title. Smith was Miss Universe in 1995.
Controversy
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. 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. 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".
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. Her victory also made her the first representative from the United States to win Miss Universe since Olivia Culpo at Miss Universe 2012. She is also the first Miss Universe titleholder to be born and raised in the Greater Houston area. 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 has traveled to Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Guatemala, the Netherlands, South Africa, Honduras, Belize, Mexico, France, El Salvador and her home country of the United States.
Further reading
References
External links
1994 births
Living people
American fashion designers
American women fashion designers
Miss USA winners
Miss Universe 2022 contestants
Miss Universe winners
Models from Houston
University of North Texas alumni
American models of Filipino descent
Female models from Texas