Miss Philippines Catriona Gray Crowned Miss Universe 2018
Miss USA Sarah Rose Summers had been accused of mocking the English-speaking skills of Miss Cambodia Rern Sinat and Miss Vietnam H’Hen Nie
And the crown goes to … Miss Philippines!
Catriona Gray won the 2018 Miss Universe pageant on Sunday night, beating 93 other women representing their countries.
Gray, 24, was an early favorite this year and is the fourth Filipino Miss Universe, according to CNN Philippines. Born in Australia, she entered her first pageant at 5 years old and moved to the United States for university, where she studied music at the Berklee College of Music, Newsweek reports.
The lead-up to the beauty contest was marred by controversy when Miss USA Sarah Rose Summers was accused of mocking the English-speaking skills of Miss Cambodia Rern Sinat and Miss Vietnam H’Hen Nie in an Instagram video earlier this week.
Summers, 24, later apologized, saying, “My life, friendships, and career revolve around me being a compassionate and empathetic woman. I would never intend to hurt another.”
She made the semifinals Sunday night but was cut before the Top 10.
Still, this year’s pageant had been praised for its inclusivity and diverse competition. Miss Spain Angela Ponce made history as the pageant’s first openly transgender contestant, and Rosa Montezuma became Panama’s first indigenous Miss Universe contestant.
The Miss Universe pageant aired live from Bangkok, Thailand, on Fox.