R'Bonney Gabriel reaches 1M IG followers after MUO president's comment
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Miss Universe 2022 R'Bonney Gabriel hit one million Instagram followers this week after her fans rallied following public criticism from Miss Universe Organization President, Raul Rocha.
Filipino-American beauty queen and Miss Universe 2022 R'Bonney Gabriel's Instagram follower count jumped past the million mark in less than 24 hours. This massive gain happened after a remark from MUO President Raul Rocha criticizing her numbers compared to previous titleholders.
The viral moment stemmed from an interview where Raul, while discussing the success of the new Miss Universe 2025 winner, Fatima Bosch, reportedly stated that R'Bonney had only around 800,000 followers since she was crowned.
She was also compared with the two other queens under Raul's management, Sheynnis Palacios and Victoria Theilvig.
Hearing the criticism, R'Bonney later commented on a post responding to Raul's statement, stating plainly: "I'm so tired of being measured by follower count."
The remark instantly sparked an outpouring of support, especially from her dedicated fan bases in the Philippines and the US.
Fans organized a movement on social media, successfully urging others to follow her account, which rapidly and naturally boosted her follower count to more than a million.
Celebrating the milestone, R'Bonney posted on her Instagram account to express her deep gratitude while reaffirming her core message.
“In less than 24 hours, yall got me to 1 MILLION followers! It was never about the numbers, but people have looked down on me just because of my social media follower count,” she wrote in her caption.
She emphasized that this expanded platform will be used to further her advocacies.
“Thank yall so much for supporting me. Maraming salamat sa suporta. Your support is so strong and so real. This gives me a bigger platform to share my passion for design. To use fashion as a force for good. It was always about advocating for the arts, making women feel beautful in my designs, and sustainability through my brand @rbonneynola_design,” she said.
Queens like Miss Universe 2020 Andrea Meza and Miss Universe 2023 Sheynnis Palacios left a comment on R'bonney's post, expressing their love and support.
R'Bonney concluded her post's caption with a strong message of empowerment. “It feels crazy to celebrate this, but I'm happy. Let's not forget there's still a whole world out there beyond digital platforms. Human connection and impact is still what's most important.”
Related Gallery: Meet Filipino-American R'Bonney Gabriel, The Newly Crowned Miss Universe 2022
