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Miss USA 2021 Elle Smith of Kentucky went to social media to defend her successor R'Bonney Gabriel of Texas whom she crowned on Monday, October 3 in Reno, Nevada. "Right now, all I feel is concern and pity for R'Bonney," she said amid the viral allegations attacking the Miss USA Organization. "I understand how isolating it is to win Miss USA and I also understand what it is like to have your class try and discredit your win, and say that they are attacking the organization and not you," she added. Elle then went on to share her own similar experience with her fellow competitors after winning last year. "Last year, my class attempted to say that the organization favored me and they came up with all these different claims, I then debunked all their claims to prove them wrong, this class [2022] is doing the same exact thing to R'Bonney," she said. She continued, "There's not one person in the pageant world and not one person in that class...

The Miss USA organization has finally shared the crowning moment of this year's winner from Kentucky, Miss USA 2021 Elle Smith. The 23-year-old journalist was crowned by Asya Branch of Mississippi during Monday night's glittering final competition in Tulsa, Oklahoma. "I am thrilled and honored to be your Miss USA 2021. I can’t say thank you enough to every single person who has supported me on this journey. Every single comment, every single message, and prayer did not go unnoticed," she shared on her social media page. "To the great state of Kentucky, you will forever have my heart. You believed and loved on me since I was crowned in May and there is no other state I would have wanted to represent on the Miss USA stage," she added. Elle is now heading to Israel where she will represent the USA at the 70th Miss Universe pageant on December 12. Photos: Felipe Espinal / Miss USA