One week after she was crowned Miss Universe 2016 in the Philippines, netizens questioned the sexuality of Iris Mittenaere of France after Instagram photos showed her getting cozy with her supposed girlfriend, reports said.
Speculations that the French beauty queen was a lesbian started one day after she was crowned Miss Universe on January 30, according to news website Latin Times, which first reported the rumors.
The Miss Universe twitter account had been flooded with comments from netizens who found Instagram pictures of Mittenaere getting intimate with French beauty queen Camille Cerf, 22.
Cerf, also a businesswoman, represented France at the Miss Universe 2014 beauty pageant in Florida, USA. She placed in the Top 15.
Mittenaere has not addressed the issue of sexuality despite rumors which continue to swirl on social media.
If the rumors were true, then Mittenaere could be the first openly gay Miss Universe in history.
In one of the IG photos taken in 2016, the Parisian native who loves to cook captioned the posted image: “Some friendships are obvious.”
Few days ago, the Daily Entertainment News, an entertainment website, reported that Mittenaere is currently in a relationship with a hunky doctor identified as certain Matthieu Declercq.
But the couple have been very discrete about their relationship because it was stated in the rules of Miss France committee that the beauty queen is not allowed to appear with her boyfriend in public.
Last year, Declerq revealed in an interview that he was not afraid of not seeing much of his girlfriend. He added that he is proud of her, the report added.
Netizens react
Fans of the 24-year-old French dental surgery student were divided on the gay rumors.
“If she doesn’t care, why you care so much? I’m not even gay and I think these two girls look so good (whether they’re friends or not),” a follower said.
Another follower reacted: “I am French and in France know his personal life has always been her boyfriend named Mathieu met during his dental school and before he realized Miss France stop mode is that Latinos who talks about her are jealous to win? In short, if you want to see the photo of her boyfriend she is in my account I posted the photo that was present in his victory SHE IS STRAIGHT! SHE HAVE A BOYFRIEND!”
“Just friends ? I do not think so,” an IG fan said.
“They’re just very very GOOD FRIENDS, friendship is so rare these days that everybody confuses it with passional love!” another social media follower said.
Mittenaere has just arrived in New York to start her reign as Miss Universe. She is the second Miss Universe from France in 63 years.
On Instagram, the beauty queen uploaded a photo taken from her flat in the Big Apple.
Pageant fans welcomed her arrival in the US, where the headquarters of the Miss Universe Organization is located.
“Welcome to New York Ms Universe! Hope to bump into you in Manhattan. Nothing wrong with dreaming,” one of her fans commented.
“Heard NY pizzas and bagels are one of a kind … lots of awesome restaurants and Broadway shows to watch…” a follower said.
“Welcome to my city!!!!” another IG follower reacted.