At the end of the event, Elle Smith of Kentucky crowned R'Bonney Gabriel of Texas as Miss USA 2022.[1][2] This was Texas' tenth Miss USA title and first win in 14 years. At the age of 28 years, 6 months and 13 days, Gabriel became the oldest Miss USA winner in the pageant's history, surpassing Cheslie Kryst in 2019, who was also 28 when she crowned, and the first titleholder of Filipino descent.[3]
Gabriel went on to win Miss Universe in New Orleans, becoming the ninth American woman to do so.[4][5] With the win, her title was rescinded, and the first runner-up, Morgan Romano of North Carolina, assumed the Miss USA title on January 27, 2023 in a ceremony in Auburn, Alabama.[6][7] Romano became the fourth woman from North Carolina to hold the Miss USA title.
On 14 July 2022, it was reported that the competition would be held in Reno, Nevada, with the city securing a three-year deal to host the pageant.[9] This would be the second time that the pageant is held in Reno, following Miss USA 2019.[10][11] The following day, it was confirmed that the pageant would be held at the Grand Sierra Resort on October 3. National Director Crystle Stewart confirmed that the location was chosen to honor Cheslie Kryst, whom had been crowned Miss USA 2019 in the same venue and had died by suicide in January 2022.[12]
Selection of contestants
The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the duration between most of the state pageants from Miss USA 2021. The previous year's state titleholders' reign was shortened to between eight and eleven months, depending on the state. Delegates from the 50 states and the District of Columbia are selected in state pageants in a period began in September 2021 and scheduled to end in July 2022 to avoid scheduling conflicts with Miss America 2023 state pageants. The state pageant schedule can become very busy between the last state pageant held from 2021. The first state pageants were Miss Idaho USA and Miss Montana USA, held together on September 12, 2021, and the last state pageant was Miss Colorado USA, held on July 3, 2022.
Eleven delegates have previously competed in Miss Teen USA and Miss America, eight are former Miss Teen USA state winners, two are a former Miss America state titleholders, and one is a former Miss America's Outstanding Teen state titleholder.
Controversy
In 2020, Crystle Stewart, who had previously won the Miss USA 2008 competition while representing Texas, became the National Director of the Miss USA pageant. In September 2022, prior to the national competition, state officials had expressed concern that Stewart, as the most recent Miss Texas USA winner to win the national-level competition, was providing preferential treatment to the 2022 Miss Texas USA winner, R'Bonney Gabriel. Less than 24 hours after Gabriel ultimately won the October 2022 competition, pageant sponsor Nizuc Resort and Spa posted videos on Instagram showing Gabriel at their resort in Cancún, Mexico.[13] While the state-level winners had visited the resort prior to the national competition, Gabriel and Miss Colorado USA Alexis Glover did not attend this retreat because their respective state competitions occurred afterward.[14] Citing the promotional footage, Miss Montana USA Heather Lee O'Keefe and Miss Georgia USA Holly Haynes alleged that Gabriel had been rigged to win the competition, but the Miss USA organization claimed that Gabriel had immediately flown from the pageant venue to the resort after winning the competition.[15] In an interview with E! News, Gabriel denied claims that the pageant was rigged, stating "I would never enter any pageant or any competition that I know I would win."[16]
Results
Miss USA 2022 results map, colors shaded in each stateR'Bonney Gabriel, who rescinded as Miss USA after winning Miss Universe
§ – Voted into the Top 16 by viewers . ∞ – Gabriel won Miss Universe 2022. Due to protocol, Gabriel relinquished her title and the 1st runner-up, Morgan Romano, assumed the Miss USA title.
