Celeste Cortesi's boyfriend and mom meet for the first time at the Miss Universe 2022 preliminary competition
Celeste Cortesi's boyfriend Mathew Custodio and mom Maria Luisa "Malou" Rabimbi have finally met as they attended the 71st Miss Universe preliminary competition.
In an behind-the-scenes video by TV personality Dyan Castillejo, who was in New Orleans, Louisiana to cover the event, the two can be seen hugging.
"Support system is here!" Castillejo could be heard saying.
According to her, Rabimbi and her friend flew from Italy and arrived the day before. Custodio, meanwhile, arrived in the country with best friend Benj a few hours before the preliminary competition started.
In another video, Castillejo asked Celeste's mom how she was feeling. Rabimbi said she was feeling nervous.
When asked what she told her daughter before she went backstage, Rabimbi said: "Sabi ko sakanya good luck. Paghusayin niya yung performance. Saka [mag] smile."
Cortesi first posted about Custodio in August 2020. Ever since then, Custodio, a model and an athlete, has been supportive of his girlfriend's Miss Universe journey.
"We've always known she was bound for the crown. We've seen her grow, we've seen her inspire the people she meets not just by words and actions but by simply carrying her values, her upbringing," Custodio wrote in a tribute during Cortesi's Miss Universe Philippines win.
"You didn’t have to be a panelist nor a front-row judge to see that she possesses the attributes of a true, regal Queen."
Rabimbi, a single mother, raised two children alone in Italy after her husband passed away.