‘Never stood a chance’: Miss Alabama USA Katelyn Vinson hints pageant was rigged – AL.com

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Katelyn Vinson is competing as Miss Alabama USA in the 2022 Miss USA pageant. (Grant Foto)
Miss Alabama USA Katelyn Vinson is among the contestants hinting the pageant’s result was predetermined after saying she “never stood a chance” to be crowned the winner.
“It’s crushing and heartbreaking to have worked so hard towards a goal only to realize you never stood a chance,” Vinson said on her Instagram account. “I had heard rumors, but held onto hope. I kept working toward my dream because I didn’t want to believe it could be true.”
Vinson won the state title in January, competing as Miss Dothan USA.
She was not among 16 semi-finalists announced on Monday, so she didn’t compete in the televised swimsuit, evening gown or question-and-answer competitions for Miss USA.
While Vinson suggested Monday night’s pageant was predetermined, other Miss USA contestants outright called Miss Texas USA R’Bonney Gabriel’s win rigged, the New York Post reported.
“Most of the Miss USA contestants feel very strongly that there was favoritism towards Miss Texas USA and we have the receipts to prove it,” said Miss Montana USA Heather Lee O’Keefe in a TikTok video.
O’Keefe also claimed one of the pageant’s sponsors was a judge in the contest, and alleged spa services were given to Gabriel before she was crowned the winner after the spa company posted on social media of Gabriel being treated.
“@MissUSA was crowned less than 24 hours ago, yet she already got her sponsored vacation to @NIZUCResort?” O’Keefe said on Instagram. “Are you kidding me? I was giving y’all the benefit of the doubt, but this is just embarrassing at this point.”
Gabriel, who became the first Filipina to win Miss USA in the pageant’s 70-year history, denied the allegations.
“I would never enter any pageant or any competition that I know I would win. I have a lot of integrity, she told E! News, noting that sponsors work with state title holders before Miss USA and then those promotions are publicized whether the state title holder wins Miss USA or not.
“I would love to communicate with [O’Keefe] because I think there’s a lot of allegations that are coming up that aren’t true, and people are leading to conclusions that just simply aren’t true,” Gabriel said . “I want to be transparent, and I want everybody to know that there was no unfair advantage and nothing was rigged.”
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