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It’s been almost three months since Deshauna Barber won the 2016 Miss America pageant, but her extremely emotional crowning ceremony just got even more dramatic.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BJax00MAiZz/?taken-by=deshaunabarber

Monday afternoon, Barber revealed to her 60,000 Instagram followers that her teary-eyed acceptance of the Miss USA crown was much deeper than the audience knew at the time.

Of course, Barber was ecstatic to be the ninth Black woman crowned in the competition’s 94 years, but she really broke down out of shock, unable to believe that she would be able to bring the crown home to her sick mother.

“I was emotional because my mom was in her home fighting for her life and there was nothing I could do to help her. I told myself that the least thing I could do for my mother was to make her proud by bringing the Miss USA crown home to our family.”

Following her mother’s recent passing, Barber finally felt free to share the true reason for her breakdown with the public.

She had previously told interviewers that her intense reaction was just a reflection of the hard work she’d put in to making it on the stage.

But watching the clip back in retrospect makes it clear that Barber wasn’t just feeling the thrill of victory.

“I lied to a lot of people…. Telling interviewers that I was so dramatically emotional because I worked so hard to be on that stage. But in reality all 52 contestants worked hard to be on that stage so who am I to cry for that reason?”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BGYErtIvhkq/?taken-by=deshaunabarber

Barber’s Instagram comments were flooded with uplifting words praising her strength and grace under the intense emotional pressure.

She even had a few words for the haters who criticized her for emphasizing her military background and bombarded her with racial slurs after her victory.

Clearly, Barber had much more important things on her mind at the time than the opinions of Twitter trolls. And there’s no doubt her mother is currently looking down on her with the same pride she felt when she first one the crown.

“I knew she was screaming with joy and probably felt the happiest she will ever feel during her lifetime. I felt blessed that God allowed me to give her that moment of happiness knowing she would not live much longer.”

SOURCE: Instagram | PHOTO: Getty