Miss Universe Bonnie Gabriel says rigging allegations were hurtful I'm focused on being successful Gabriel became the first Filipino American to be crowned Miss Universe and the first American to win since Olivia Culpo's victory in 2012. Bonnie Gabriel The First Filipino American to win Miss USA was crowned.
Miss Universe 2022 but not everyone celebrated her big achievement while the show was airing from New Orleans several Critics on Twitter alleged the pageant was rigged pointing out that jkn Global Group which owns Miss Universe also owned Miss USA some also claimed that the pageant was manipulated to favor the American.
Contestant because it was held in the United States you know I have to be honest it is very hurtful the 28 year old told Fox News digital it's very disheartening because I have put my heart and soul into it and I hope people can see that however in this competition I know there.
Are always rumors that can start sometimes I'm like it's another day another rumor and you have to take it with a grain of salt I've been through this before because I won Miss USA that was in the public eye and there were rigging allegations proven false as well.
I really learned to just kind of focus my energy inward she shared and I realized that at the end of the day I have to be grateful for this opportunity and I feel like the more successful you are the more the world sees you there will always be people that try to bring you down.
But being in the public eye I think this is a great opportunity to show resiliency and to just keep moving forward I'm focused on my end goal I'm focused on being successful and being positive in a world of negativity following the competition on January 14th the organization dismissed claims.
Made by social media users that its new owner fixed the competition to Crown the Houston native Saturday's competition was the first time a trans woman addressed fans as the owner of Miss Universe the organization wrote in a statement obtained by Fox News digital about transgender Thai businesswoman and jkn Global Group CEO.
And Jacob it was also the first time a Filipina American took the crown the statement continued the false rigging allegations are absurd and distract from the incredible Milestones our organization and the delegates experienced this weekend instead of focusing on unfounded.
Statements we will continue to shine a light on global women's empowerment inclusiveness diversity and transformational Leadership the organization concluded Gabriel a fashion designer model and sewing instructor is the first American to win since Olivia Culpo's victory in 2012.
According to the organization she is a former high school volleyball player and a graduate of the University of North Texas she is currently the CEO of her own sustainable clothing line nearly 90 contestants from around the world took part in the competition the runner-up was Miss Venezuela Amanda.
Dudamel followed by Miss Dominican Republic Andreina Martinez last year's winner was harness Sandhu of India Gabriel said she hopes her win will inspire others to achieve something that they thought was impossible when I first set out to train for Miss Universe I actually lost in pageants.
Four times in a row she explained I would get first runner-up but I never gave up and I think my formula for success is I really leaned on people that believed in me and would push me on days when I didn't feel like it I cut out a lot of distractions I didn't realize a lot was holding me.
Back from reaching this goal all my best friends were very understanding but I gave up my social life there were a lot of times I wanted to give up but I think the more you fail and the more you keep trying and applying yourself you're going to get closer and closer she continued.
I think anything good that's worth fighting for doesn't come easy so on days that I wanted to give up I'm a person of faith and I always thought God is giving me this challenge for a reason every failure is an opportunity to analyze what I can do to be better the next time around.
And it's really about approaching failure in that way instead of letting it bring you down Gabriel admitted she was in disbelief when the winner of Miss Universe was announced for a moment she was not sure if she heard correctly I was asking myself is it really me.
Did I hear that right she chuckled I just blacked out and I wasn't sure it took me a few moments to realize that I was the winner they finally came with the crown and sash when it all really started hitting me Gabriel's parents were in the audience cheering as the thumping music rang out.
And their daughter was draped in the winter sash she said that her win was for them as well as for other Asian Americans like her I'm so proud because I feel like I'm a product of the American dream said Gabriel my father he's an immigrant from the.
Philippines he came here with only twenty dollars in his pocket and a college scholarship he was able to pave the way for a successful life with a loving family I'm just so thankful that America gives opportunities to people like that and that is one of the main reasons I'm proud to be an American.
Gabriel insisted that despite the glitz and glamor being celebrated on stage preparing for the Miss Universe competition required serious dedication that is not for the faint of heart she described eating the same thing for the last two years to stay in shape every day I have oatmeal and two eggs in the morning she described.
And then lunchtime is shrimp and green beans and then there's a snack in between there are rice cakes I always have rice cakes in my purse or my car and then dinner is salmon and veggies I stay consistent with that almost every day even when I was traveling somewhere I.
Would meal plan and bring my food on the plane in a big cooler while Gabriel works with a trainer and lifts heavy weights to build muscle contestants are known for using spray tans to appear glowing and toned I use self tanner which is something that was kind of new to me before pageants Gabriel explained.
When you put a fake spray tan on if you wash your body or if you shower it comes off so during the competition it's two weeks long I get my spray tan right before I check in I want to preserve it all the way until finals two weeks later.
I only showered a few times which is kind of gross if you think about it because we're beauty queens we're supposed to be so clean and glamorous but by the time finals come around I feel so dirty because I've only showered a few times I'm really trying to preserve my spray.
Tan it's not the cutest I'll say that she added about her bathtub however every contestant has to expect the unexpected for the competition Gabriel teamed up with a Filipino artist to create her enormous woman on the Moon costume one that quickly went viral.
The memes are cracking me up she said I don't like to take myself too seriously I think it's great that I made people laugh I gave them something to talk about I didn't expect that but when I went on stage the costume was so heavy that I had to laugh at myself.
I wanted to go big for this costume but I don't think I realized what I was getting myself into Gabriel suspected the piece weighed about 50 pounds she wore it wearing heels I wanted to be a little bit taller and I thought the heels were so cute she laughed.
So I said let me just suffer through this I couldn't wear it for that long I put it on right before I went on stage and as soon as I got off stage I was like take this off at the last stage of the competition Gabriel told judges she would use her title to be a transformational leader if.
She won Gabriel cited her work in using recycled materials in her fashion designs as well as teaching sewing to human trafficking and domestic violence survivors
