R'Bonney Gabriel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
R'Bonney Gabriel
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Gabriel in 2023.
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R'Bonney Nola Gabriel
March 20, 1994 Houston, Texas, U.S.
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| Education | University of North Texas (BFA) |
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) |
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| Beauty pageant titleholder | |
| Hair color | Brown |
| Eye color | Hazel |
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R'Bonney Nola Gabriel (born March 20, 1994) is an American fashion designer and a winner of beauty pageants. She won Miss Universe 2022, becoming the ninth person from the United States to win this big title. She was also the oldest winner at that time. Before that, she won Miss USA 2022.
Early Life and Education
R'Bonney Nola Gabriel was born in Houston, Texas. Her father, Remigio Bonzon "R. Bon" Gabriel, is from the Philippines, and her mother, Dana Walker, is American. They got married in the Philippines. R'Bonney grew up in Missouri City and later in Friendswood. She has three older brothers.
Her father moved to Washington when he was 25 years old. He later earned a degree in psychology and opened a car repair shop. Her mother is from Beaumont. When R'Bonney was a child, she spent some time in Manila, the capital of the Philippines. She played in the streets and watched parades during Filipino festivals. Her family still visits the Philippines for holidays and summer breaks. They often stay in Malate, the same area where her father grew up.
R'Bonney went to the University of North Texas. She earned a special degree in fashion design, focusing on how clothes are made. She now works as a designer, creating eco-friendly clothing that is good for the planet. She also works as a model. She has taught sewing classes at a non-profit organization, which helps people in the community.
Pageant Journey
R'Bonney's first beauty pageant was Miss Kemah USA 2020. She did very well and made it to the top five finalists. After that, she competed in Miss Texas USA 2021 as Miss Harris County. She was the first runner-up, meaning she came in second place.
Winning Miss USA 2022
After winning Miss Texas USA 2022, R'Bonney went on to compete in Miss USA 2022. She won the Miss USA title, becoming the first winner of Filipino background. She was also the second person from Texas to win both Miss USA and Miss Universe, following Chelsi Smith who won in 1995.
After she won, some people wondered if the competition was fair. R'Bonney said in an interview that she would never join a competition if she knew she would win. She stated that she believes in fair play.
Becoming Miss Universe 2022
As Miss USA 2022, R'Bonney represented the United States at the Miss Universe 2022 pageant. This big event took place on January 14, 2023, in New Orleans, Louisiana.
R'Bonney was crowned Miss Universe 2022 by the previous winner, Harnaaz Sandhu from India. This made her the ninth American to win the Miss Universe title. She is also the first Miss Universe winner from the Greater Houston area. At 28 years old, she became the oldest person to win the Miss Universe title.
As Miss Universe, R'Bonney traveled to many different countries around the world. She visited places like Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Mexico, France, and her home country, the United States. Her travels allowed her to meet many people and share her message.
On November 18, 2023, R'Bonney crowned Sheynnis Palacios from Nicaragua as the next Miss Universe. This event took place in El Salvador.
