The Head Of The Miss USA Pageant Has Been Suspended Amidst Allegations That The Competition Was Rigged
Another day, another one of Donald Trump‘s legacies is against the ropes. Earlier this month, folks who tuned into the FYI network early to catch Rachel Ray’s Italian Dream Home were treated to the tail-end of the Miss USA pageant and watched in slack-jawed awe as Miss Texas R’Bonney Gabriel was crowned the winner. Not because it’s surprising that R’Bonney is a real name somebody gave their child, but because the other contestants could be seen walking off the stage in protest behind her instead of sending the one with the sturdiest wrist muscles (usually Miss Ohio) to march up there and snatch the crown right off old R’Bonney’s weave.
But this is 2022, and pageants have evolved since Trump got Miss USA booted from NBC in 2015. As Miss USA’s new owner Crystle Stewart (pictured above) says, 2022 is the year of “Pageantry Reimagined.” And as such, she has just been suspended as head of the organization due to an internal investigation into claims that the competition was rigged in R’Bonney’s favor. Also, Crystal’s husband, Max Sebrechts, has been accused of sending contestants videos of himself masturbating and has been relieved of his duties as Vice President of Miss USA. During Trump’s tenure, you could just do that, and they let you, but no more. Progress and accountability! You love to see it. According to USA Today (no relation):
The Miss Universe Organization has suspended the head of Miss USA and is opening an investigation after several of this year’s contestants alleged the organization gave preferential treatment to the winner of this year’s Miss USA pageant, R’Bonney Gabriel of Texas.
When Bonney was announced as the winner on Oct. 3, there were some immediate signs of trouble. Some contestants appeared to leave the stage without congratulating her, as is customary for the competition, Jasmine Bruce, first runner-up in the 2021 Miss Arkansas pageant, told NBC News.
More than a dozen contestants have now made allegations that Gabriel, the first Filipino American to win the crown, was heavily favored to win — or that the contest was rigged entirely, Insider reported.
As Ben previously reported, things started to smell fishy when R’Bonney was seen enjoying the spoils of her prize package in Instagram posts from sponsors well before the first sequin of the competition was shed. Miss Montana Heather O’Keefe (aka the alternate for crown snatching duties) was one of the first contestants to ring the alarm, which in today’s modern pageants, is done by posting on TikTok instead of by pushing a concealed panic button that’s sewn into the bodice of each contestants’ state costume outfit. Still, Heather magnanimously says she’s got “nothing against Texas as a person,” which would have at least helped her win the talent contest if she had only chosen to do a stand-up routine because that is an objectively hilarious thing to say. You see, according to Insider, Crystle is a former Miss Texas herself and won the whole shebang in 2008, representing the Lone Star State. Furthermore, Miss USA, Miss Academy, Crystle’s pageant school (also a sponsor), and their parent company, Miss Brand, are all based in Houston, Texas. Texas may be the center of the pageant universe here on earth, but thanks to Crystle’s apparent meddling, she’s now taking her stomping orders from the big pageant in the sky. Insider reports:
“Miss Universe Organization will be taking over the Miss USA program while a comprehensive, third-party investigation is conducted,” the email obtained by Insider read. “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 Miss Universe Organization confirmed to Insider that the investigation remains ongoing. A spokesperson for Stewart told Insider that she was complying with all requests from Miss Universe.
Insider notes that in addition to handing over her Miss Lady Boss crown, Crystal has also relinquished the title of Miss Mrs. and has “since separated” from her husband, the former Mr. Miss USA, and his alleged wandering scepter.
Pic: Kristin Callahan/ACE Pictures/INSTARimages.com