- The Miss USA and Miss Universe organizations have battled a year full of controversy.
- It all began when contestants claimed Miss USA 2022 was rigged in favor of R'Bonney Gabriel.
- Here's the full timeline, which included a suspended president and a sexual harassment scandal.
When R'Bonney Gabriel won Miss USA 2022 and the contestants didn't rush over to hug and congratulate her onstage, many pageant fans wondered if something was amiss.
A day later, the rigging allegations came flooding in — and kicked off a chaotic year for the Miss USA and Miss Universe organizations.
A president was suspended, a sexual harassment scandal was uncovered, and both organizations' top leaders changed amid all the drama.
Here's everything that happened during the pageant's very controversial year.
R'Bonney Gabriel won Miss USA on October 3, 2022.
Gabriel — a fashion designer from Houston, Texas — made history as the first Filipino American to take home the crown.
She was also the first Miss Texas to win the competition since Crystle Stewart, who won Miss USA in 1998 and became president of the organization in 2020.
On October 4, Miss USA 2022 contestants went public with their claims that the pageant had been rigged.
Contestants from the 2022 class began posting various Instagram stories or TikToks saying they had "never stood a chance," were "heartbroken" about their experience, and felt like they'd been used "as puppets and props."
"A lot of the girls felt like it was the organization's plan from the beginning for R'Bonney to win, no matter who else was competing," Miss Missouri Mikala McGhee told Insider at the time.
Many of the contestants began posting their allegations after seeing an Instagram video Gabriel made for a Miss USA national sponsor.
Insider spoke to many of the 2022 contestants, who pointed to what they said were multiple conflicts of interest between Gabriel and Miss USA's national sponsors — including Miss Academy, the pageant school owned by Stewart, as well as the med spa Mia Beauté and the Nizuc Resort in Cancún.
The day after Gabriel won Miss USA, a promotional video of her receiving treatments at Mia Beauté's spa at Nizuc was posted on the resort's Instagram page.
View this post on InstagramThe 2022 contestants were confused because Miss USA had held a weeklong retreat for their class at the resort in the last week of June 2022, but Gabriel and Miss Colorado Alexis Glover weren't in attendance because they hadn't won their respective state pageants yet.
While the video showed Gabriel on a solo trip to the Mexican resort, sources told Insider that Glover was never offered the same opportunity, raising questions about Gabriel having an unfair advantage with the two sponsors.
Miss USA contestants told Insider they believed the video was proof that Gabriel was receiving favorable treatment from sponsors and had possibly already been "chosen" to win the Miss USA pageant. It also had contestants questioning why the Miss USA organization allowed Gabriel to work so closely with a major sponsor just weeks before the competition.
"After that video was released, it was very evident that something was not right," McGhee said. "That was the first moment I really thought, 'Wow, we just got played. Big time.'"
In an interview on October 6, Gabriel defended herself against the rigging allegations.
"I would never enter any pageant or any competition that I know I would win, I have a lot of integrity," she said during an appearance on "The Rundown."
"I want to be transparent," she added. "And I want everybody to know that there was no unfair advantage and nothing was rigged."
Gabriel also noted during the interview that she had paid for her own flight to the Nizuc resort and shot the video while she was Miss Texas.
On October 8, the Miss Universe Organization launched a third-party investigation and suspended Miss USA president Crystle Stewart.
After the Miss Universe Organization held a town hall with the 2022 contestants, CEO Amy Emmerich and president Paula Shugart informed the women that Stewart had been suspended indefinitely.
A day before her suspension, Stewart told Insider in a statement that the "fairness of the pageant and the well-being of each and every contestant" was a top priority.
"The allegations against the Miss USA Organization are misleading and against everything I stand for personally and professionally," she said. "As a former titleholder, I learned firsthand the importance of a fair and unbiased pageant competition and I respect the voices of the Class of 2022 and every woman's right to have their voice heard."
In mid-October, it was revealed that Stewart's husband had been accused of sexual harassment by former Miss USA contestants.
As Miss USA became headline news, it was revealed that Max Sebrechts had stepped down as vice president of Miss USA after multiple contestants from the 2021 pageant said he sexually harassed them during the competition. One of those contestants was Miss Michigan 2021 Taylor Hale, who went on to win "Big Brother."
In a statement sent to Insider in October, a spokesperson for Miss Universe said the organization was made aware of the allegations against Sebrechts in late December 2021 and "immediately requested a review."
"The Miss USA franchisee, Miss Brand, removed the employee from its organization in January 2022 and new protocols and processes were established and put in place," they added.
Insider obtained a letter that was sent to the 2021 contestants informing them that Sebrechts was stepping down as vice president in January 2022. The letter said Sebrechts was "focusing his efforts on other business ventures" and did not mention the allegations.
Sebrechts denied the allegations to Insider. A source close to Stewart confirmed to Insider that she and Sebrechts have since separated.
On October 26, it was announced that the Miss Universe Organization had been sold to businesswoman Anne Jakapong Jakrajutatip.
Jakrajutatip announced that her Thailand-based company, JKN Global Group, purchased the Miss Universe Organization from IMG for $20 million.
She became the first woman to own Miss Universe, the organization confirmed to Insider.
Amid all the controversy and change, Gabriel was trying to prepare for Miss Universe.
Gabriel told Insider during an interview in January that the rigging allegations were a "huge distraction."
"The hardest part was I felt like I didn't have a voice at times as Miss USA," she said. "I wanted to stand up for myself and say, 'Hey, this is false. This is very frustrating.' But I wanted to compose myself and carry this with grace because I was in the public eye. I wanted to show people how you can push back from adversity and be resilient."
While her Miss USA reign was full of difficult moments, Gabriel said she believes it made her "become even stronger."
"I was definitely not expecting it, and there were days I felt low," she said. "I felt very delayed in my process a lot of the time, but I had Miss Universe always on my mind."
On January 14, Gabriel won Miss Universe.
Gabriel was named the winner during the 71st Miss Universe pageant in New Orleans. She was the first American to win the crown in a decade.
The pageant queen told Insider that her Miss Universe win was the "sweetest victory," and she hoped it proved that she deserved to win Miss USA as well.
"This is a strong message that I want to share with the world," Gabriel said. "No matter if people try to knock you down or there are misconceptions about you, you can't let that get to you, just keep going and you'll get what you deserve."
On January 27, Morgan Romano assumed the title of Miss USA 2022.
Romano, a chemical engineer who represented North Carolina, had placed first runner-up at Miss USA 2022. After Gabriel was named Miss Universe, Romano took over the title.
Gabriel crowned Romano at a ceremony during the preliminary competition of Miss Alabama USA 2023.
On August 1, the Miss Universe Organization announced it had found the rigging allegations were "false" but that Stewart would no longer be president of Miss USA.
The Miss Universe Organization thanked Stewart and her company, Miss Brand, for "their unwavering cooperation and transparency" throughout the investigation.
But, the statement continued, the Miss Universe Organization and Stewart "were unable to reach an agreement as to Crystle and Miss Brand's continuing involvement with Miss USA and the Miss Universe Organization."
"Crystle has decided to leverage the success she has had with the Miss USA Organization to pursue other entrepreneurial passions," the statement read. "We wish Crystle, and her team at Miss Brand, all the best and have no doubt that she will excel in this next chapter."
Hours later, Laylah Rose was announced as the next Miss USA president.
Insider sat down with Rose, a fashion designer and CEO of the VIP Pageantry television network, to talk about her new role. She revealed three big changes coming to Miss USA, including a new scoring system. Rose revealed that the interview will now make up 50% of the contestants' total score, while the swimsuit and evening-gown rounds will each be 25%.
Rose said the final question will also no longer involve politics.
"The final question is going to be really catered to them as an individual. It won't be a political question," Rose said. "I want to highlight them as individuals, and I really want them to shine within themselves and who they are."
The new Miss USA will be crowned on September 29 in Reno, Nevada.
The 72nd annual Miss USA pageant will take place at the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino. The competition will air live on the CW channel at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Women from all 50 states and the District of Columbia will compete for the iconic crown.
This year, the competition will be hosted by E! News hosts Keltie Knight and Adrienne Bailon-Houghton. The Miss USA judges are fashion designer Nicole Miller, actress Vivica A. Fox, makeup artist Patrick Starr, and model and philanthropist Emina Cunmulaj Nazarian.
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