Following allegations that the 2022 Miss USA pageant was manipulated to crown Miss Texas USA, R’Bonney Gabriel, the national winner, the Miss Universe Organization has suspended Miss USA President Chrystle Stewart and her business, Miss Brand Corporation, until further notice.
“After thorough deliberation, Miss Universe Organization has decided to suspend Miss Brand immediately,” the Miss Universe Organization said in a statement. “Miss Universe Organization will be taking over the Miss USA program while a comprehensive, third-party investigation is conducted.”
The claims made against Stewart and her business (which was established in December 2021) are being rejected by Stewart as “not factual.”
“The last thing I would ever want to do is discredit or deny the contestants an equal opportunity to a fair competition. I would never jeopardize my dream of running an organization that empowers these young women,” she maintained in her own statement.
During the crowning of Miss Texas, viewers observed that something seemed “wrong.” Normally, contestants surround the winner and give her an embrace, but this year, everyone walked off stage instead of showing their support.
@queenlyapp Thoughts on the reactions to #MissUSA’s crowning? ?? #MissUSA2022 #missuniverse #pageant #pageantryreimagined ♬ original sound – user90949923397
After complaining that one of the pageant’s sponsors, the Nizuc Resort and Spa in Mexico, posted a video of Gabriel at the resort less than 24 hours after she won the Miss USA competition held in Reno, Nevada, Miss Montana USA, Heather Lee O’Keefe went viral on Instagram and TikTok.
@heatherleeokeefe @Jas but wait… there’s more!!! ? ☕️ #missusa #missusa2022 #missusascandal #pageantryreimagined #rbonneygabriel #misstexasusa ♬ original sound – Heather Lee O’Keefe, J.D.
She continued by mentioning that the hotel had a video of Gabriel receiving care there nine weeks before the pageant, which would have been part of the winner’s award.
Others were quick to note that Gabriel was being used in advertisements for Miss Academy, a company owned by Stewart and a sponsor of Miss USA, long before the competition even began.
