Miss Universe 2016 Iris Mittenaere finally quashed rumors that she is a lesbian. Speaking to a local news channel, she clarified that she is not in a gay relationship with a fellow pageant sister. She also said that she is very much in love with her boyfriend, a French dentist.
Rumors Based On Instagram Photos
Rumors started circulating about her supposed lesbian relationship with fellow beauty queen Camille Cerf when people found several photos of the two together. As people started digging around in her Instagram account, they found photos of the two apparently enjoying each other’s company. In one post, Cerf also wished Mittenaere the best during the Miss Universe pageant.
While the photos were not telling about their real relationship, many online sites began to ask if Mittanaere was indeed gay. Some netizens on Twitter reacted positively, saying that it does not matter whether she is indeed gay.
Meet Her Boyfriend, Dentist Matthieu Declercq
In her interview with GMA News, Mittenaere said that she loves her best friend (Cerf) but that she is “not with her.” She added, “She is not my girlfriend.” She also declared her love for boyfriend, Matthieu Declercg. In fact, Declercq witnessed his girlfriend bagging the Miss Universe crown last month. He even shared a photo on Instagram, captioning it with “Surrealistic” and “On top of the Universe.”
Declerq, according to an ABS-CBN report, is a dentist, which is similar to Mittenaere’s field.
Mittenaere has started her work as Miss Universe, after settling down in New York, her residence during her reign. Reports say she is busy with media and press work for Miss Universe.
She is only the second French woman to bag the crown. The first Miss France that became Miss Universe was Christiane Martel as Miss Universe 1953. The 24-year old is a native of Lille, France and is a dentistry student.