Miss USA 2022 Cheating Scandal Explained

The Miss USA beauty pageant has been in operation since 1952.

The 2022 edition of the pageant has been accused of having a rigged result in favor of pageant winner R’Bonney Gabriel.

Miss USA Brand Licensed To Miss Brand Corp In 2020

In 2020, Miss Universe Organization handed over the rights to the Miss USA competition to Miss Brand Corp. Miss Brand Corp was headed by  Crystle Stewart, who was Miss USA 2008.

Stewart appeared in an actress in a few television series from producer Tyler Perry and founded the MISS Academy, a school for teaching women skills through pageantry.

Before the transfer, the Miss Universe Organization ran the pageant, and before that the pageant was owned by former President Donald Trump.

R’Bonney Gabriel Won Miss USA 2022

On October 4 2022 Miss Texas USA R’Bonney Gabriel was named as the winner of the Miss USA beauty pageant for 2022. Gabriel was a fashion designer from San Antonio, Texas.

Gabriel’s win meant that she was the first Filipina American to win the Miss USA title. The winner of the Miss USA title goes on to represent the United States at the Miss Universe beauty pageant.

After Gabriel was named, several of the pageant contestants on stage with her walked off the stage and did not congratulate her.

Former pageant competitor Jasmine Bruce (first runner up for Miss Arkansas 2021) posted a series of TikTok videos taking note of the behavior. Bruce told NBC News, “I’ve never seen all 50 contestants walk off stage or react the way that the contestants reacted in the background. To me, that’s very telling. These girls aren’t just upset that they didn’t win. There’s more to the story.”

Video: Jasmine Bruce commentary on Miss USA 2022 crowning moment

 

Favoritism Allegations

Several competitors in the Miss USA pageant went on the record and criticized Gabriel’s win, alleging that there was favoritism involved in the decision.

Miss Oklahoma 2022 Ashley Ehrhart said, “It stung because all week, I had thought this could go one way due to the favoritism I saw shown.”

Heather Lee O’Keefe, Miss Montana 2022 said “there was favoritism” and accused pageant organizers of “not doing what’s best for the women who are a part of the organization.”

O’Keefe alleged that Gabriel was allowed to do “different walking patterns on stage” while other contestants had been told to follow the direction of choreographers. She also said Gabriel was allowed to have her coaches sit in on rehearsals when the other women were prohibited from doing so.

Mikala McGhee, Miss Missouri, pointed to Gabriel’s Texas roots as evidence of possible favoritism.

“Not to say that Gabriel couldn’t have gone out here and won this on her own, but I think that she was a Houstonian. Everyone, again, from the Miss Brand … and most from Miss USA Organization, including Crystle herself, are from Houston. They’re Houston natives.”

McGhee also noted that Gabriel had a working relationship with Miss Academy, Crystle Stewart’s company.

Gabriel denied the allegations in an interview with NBC.

Stewart: Allegations Are “Misleading”

Crystle Stewart, head of Miss Brand Corp., told NBC News the allegations of favoritism were “misleading.”

“I would not do not anything, such as ‘rig a competition’ that I fought so hard for to win, and jeopardize that hope. The fairness of the pageant and the well being of each and every contestant is my top priority,” she wrote in a statement. “The allegations against the Miss USA Organization are misleading and against everything I stand for personally and professionally.”

Video: Crystle Stewart interview on alleged cheating with Good Morning America

Max Sebrechts Sexual Misconduct Allegations Surface

Max Sebrechts was a former vice president of Miss USA. Sebrecht is married to Crystle Stewart.

In October 2022 the NY Post reported that “multiple sexual misconduct allegations” against Sebrechts had surfaced. The publication reported that he “allegedly sent sexually explicit messages to multiple contestants” from the organization’s 2021 competition.

The Post said the texts allegedly from Sebrechts indicated he was looking for a “no strings attached” relationship and that he sent videos showing him pleasuring himself.

Miss Universe told the Post that it conducted a review of the allegations and that Sebrecht was “completely removed from any affiliation with the Miss USA organization in January 2022.”

Miss USA Organizers Suspended

Mikala McGhee, who competed as Miss Missouri, told the conservative Daily Maill that an email was sent to her and other contestants saying that Miss Brand Corp. had been suspended.

The email said, “After thorough deliberation, Miss Universe Organization has decided to suspend Miss Brand immediately.”

Pageant Investigation Launched

The Miss Universe Organization issued a statement that the 2022 Miss USA pageant would be the subject of an investigation.

“Miss Universe Organization will be taking over the Miss USA program while a comprehensive, third-party investigation is conducted. The investigation will be led by the law firm Holland & Knight, and the findings will be used as the basis for the appropriate action,” the company said in a statement.

Gabriel Denied Rigging Allegations

R’Bonney Gabriel released a statement denying the allegation that the pageant result was rigged.

She wrote: “The current allegations are based on perception and not the truth. 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. At this time, I am currently training for Miss Universe and all of the opportunities that the Miss USA Organization will provide, while expanding on my personal platform for sustainable fashion and advocating for charity partners Best Buddies and Smile Train.”