Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. – Miss United States, R’Bonney Gabriel, was crowned on Saturday as Miss Universe in New Orleans (southern US), with the mission of being the face of the new stage of the organization focused on defending gender equality and women’s rights.
As first and second finalists were chosen Miss Venezuela Amanda Dudamel and Miss Dominican Republic Andreína Martínez, respectively. The three beauty queens will have to dedicate a year to the contest and move to Thailand, where the contest is based from this year.
Before announcing the winner, the Miss Universe Organization revealed that the next edition, corresponding to 2023, will be held in El Salvador, through a video of the country’s president Nayb Bukele.
The new Miss Universe, 28 years old, is the ninth winner of the contest for her country. Venezuela has won the crown seven times and the Dominican Republic once, in 2003.
Gabriel, was crowned by her predecessor, Indian Harnaaz Sandhu, with the new Force for Good crown, which has 993 precious stones and a sapphire of 45.14 carats.
Valued at $5.3 million, it is the most expensive crown in the 71-year history of the contest, which also put the first band made with recyclable materials.
FILIPINO-AMERICAN
The new universal beauty queen is the first woman of Filipino origin to have achieved the title of Miss United States. Her father Remigio Bonzon “R. Bon” Gabriel, is a Filipino who came to the country to study psychology at the University of Southern California. Her mother Dana Walker, is American.
Model and Miss Universe 2012 Olivia Culpo and American host Jeannie Mai were the hosts of the gala, which took place at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.
Rapper and Hip-Hop singer Big Freedia, the band Big Sam’s Funky Nation, violinist Amanda Shaw, the group Tank and The Bangas and singer Yolanda Adams were in charge of the musical part of the ceremony, which was marked by the Afro-French culture of the city and typical American country.
Big Freedia was also part of the jury, completed by journalist and presenter Cuban Myrka Dellanos, Miss Universe 2010, Mexican Ximena Navarrete, Roku executive Sweta Patel, Miss Universe 1998 Wendy Fitzwilliam, actress and journalist Emily Austin and CEO and founder of O Skin Med Spa Olivia Quido.
PARADES AND QUESTIONS TO DECIDE
Although this Miss Universe gala took place in 2023, the winner will hold the title of Miss Universe 2022, as the contest was postponed not to compete with the World Cup in Qatar.
The new Miss Universe and finalists stood out in a preliminary group of 16 semifinalists, among which were also the candidates from Puerto Rico, Curazao, Spain, Haiti, Australia, Laos, South Africa, Portugal, Canada, Trinidad and Tobago, Curazao, India and Colombia.
This group was selected on the basis of the scores obtained during the parades in swimsuits and evening gowns and the answers to the questions of the final interview.
