New Miss USA crowned, capping tumultuous year of pageant controversy | CNN (2024)

CNN

Michigan’s Alma Cooper, a US Army officer, was named Miss USA on Sunday, becoming the third person to hold the title this year following the shock resignation of 2023’s winner.

The 22-year-old, who has a Master’s in data science from Stanford University, beat 50 other contestants in a pageant that included swimwear and evening gown competitions. Kentucky’s Connor Perry and Oklahoma’s Danika Christopherson were named first and second runners up, respectively. Cooper is a second lieutenant who serves as a military intelligence officer, according to her social media.

“As the daughter of a migrant worker, a proud Afro Latina woman and an officer of the United States Army, I am living the American dream,” she had told judges during a Q&A session at Sunday’s finale. “If there’s anything that my life and my mother have taught me, it’s that your circumstances never define your destiny: You can make success accessible through demanding excellence.”

Cooper was crowned on stage by previous titleholder, Savannah Gankiewicz of Hawaii, who inherited the tiara in May after Utah’s Noelia Voigt stepped down in highly controversial circumstances.

The glitzy televised event capped three months of turbulence for pageant organizers sparked byVoigt’s surprise resignation — and that of then-reigning Miss Teen USA, New Jersey’s UmaSofia Srivastava, just days later. The show featured no explicit references to the controversy, though Gankiewicz described her unexpected three-month stint as Miss USA as “the most unique reign in history.”

New Miss USA crowned, capping tumultuous year of pageant controversy | CNN (1)

Alma Cooper onstage with former Miss USA titleholder Savannah Gankiewicz of Hawaii.

Announcing her decision via Instagram in May, Voigt attributed her resignation to mental health reasons. But social media users quickly spotted that the first letter of the first 11 sentences of her cryptic post spelled “I am silenced,” sparking rumors of a strict non-disclosure agreement.

Her resignation letter, later obtained by CNN, alleged delays in receiving prizes and a “toxic work environment” that “at best, is poor management and, at worst, is bullying and harassment.” Voigt also claimed to have been sexually harassed during a public appearance due the Miss USA organization’s failure to provide an “effective handler.”

Related article After a scandalous year, Miss Teen USA and Miss USA pageants return

Srivastava, who won the Miss Teen USA competition (a companion event, under the same ownership, for contestants aged 14 to 19), meanwhile attributed her resignation to a clash in “personal values” with the Miss USA organization. Both women’s mothers thenappeared on Good Morning America, with Srivastava’s mother, Barbara,saying the beauty queens had been “ill-treated, abused, bullied and cornered,” and that “the job of their dreams turned out to be a nightmare.”

Organizers and the pageants’ parent company, the Miss Universe Organization, did not respond to CNN’s requests for comment at the time of the double resignation. Miss USA president Laylah Rose released a statement at the end of May,reportedby the Los Angeles Times, refuting Voigt’s allegations.

New rules, groundbreaking firsts

The evening’s proceedings began with an elimination, as the 51 contestants were narrowed down to a top 20 based on judges’ scores from Saturday’s preliminary competition. The results of a swimwear competition saw the field reduced to 10 ahead of an eveningwear parade.

The final five were then asked the same question: “How can we bridge the gap between different cultures and foster understanding and respect?”

New Miss USA crowned, capping tumultuous year of pageant controversy | CNN (2)

Contestants on stage at the Miss USA finale in Los Angeles, California.

The televised finale, which was hosted by Garcelle Beauvais from “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” and E! News presenter Keltie Knight, saw the contest return to California for the first time since 2007.

Judges included shoe designer Jojo Bragais and former Miss USA titleholders Carole Gist and Lu Parker.

Sunday marked the first Miss USA pageant to take place since its owner, the Miss Universe Organization, lifted a longstanding age restriction banning women over 28 from participating. Several finalists benefited from the new rule, including 41-year-old Kristina Johnson of Arizona and contestants from Montana, North Dakota, Maryland and Indiana, who are all in their 30s.

Related article Mississippi’s Addie Carver wins controversy-hit Miss Teen USA pageant

In other firsts, Maryland’s Bailey Anne Kennedy became the first transgender contestant from her state to appear at the finals, and Shavana Clarke of Connecticut arrived as the “first openly lesbian Miss USA state titleholder,” according to organizers.

Sunday’s finale comes three days after Addie Carver of Mississippi was named Miss Teen USA, a title that had remained vacant since Srivastava’s resignation (last year’s first runner-up, Stephanie Skinner, declined to take on the title). Seventeen-year-old Carver is a dance teacher, cheerleader and choreographer who has used her platform to discuss young people’s mental health, telling judges of her own struggles following her father’s death. “As the next Miss Teen USA I want to make it my mission to know that every little girl who is just like me once is never alone,” she said on stage Thursday evening.

Cooper will now go onto compete in the Miss Universe 2024 contest, which will be held in Mexico later this year.

New Miss USA crowned, capping tumultuous year of pageant controversy | CNN (2024)

FAQs

New Miss USA crowned, capping tumultuous year of pageant controversy | CNN? ›

Michigan's Alma Cooper wins Miss USA

Miss USA
The current reigning Miss USA is Alma Cooper of Michigan, who won the title on August 4, 2024 at the Peacock Theater, in Los Angeles, California. She will serve as the country's delegate to the Miss Universe 2024 pageant.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Miss_USA
2024 at the 73rd annual Miss USA pageant at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California. Michigan's Alma Cooper, a US Army officer, was named Miss USA on Sunday, becoming the third person to hold the title this year following the shock resignation of 2023's winner.

Who became Miss USA in 2024? ›

(CBS DETROIT) - Miss Michigan Alma Cooper was crowned Miss USA 2024 over the weekend following a controversial year for the pageant. The 22-year-old U.S. Army officer from Okemos was named at the 73rd pageant on Sunday in Los Angeles, California.

What is the age limit for Miss USA? ›

Miss USA & Teen USA Eligibility

Miss USA contestants must be between the ages of 18 and 27 before January 1st of the year the national pageant takes place and Miss Teen USA contesants must be between the ages of 14 and 18 before January 1st of the year the national pageant takes place.

Which state has the most Miss USA winners? ›

Texas with 10 Miss USA winners

The state which has seen the most Miss USAs crowned is Texas with 10 winners between 1977 and 2022. They are followed by California with six, Hawaii with five and four states all with four winners: Illinois, North Carolina, New York and District of Columbia.

What does Miss USA get judged on? ›

While many pageant queens compete at both Miss USA and Miss America, the two competitions consist of different rounds. Miss USA contestants are judged on three rounds: swimsuit, evening gown, and interview. All three rounds previously held equal weight in the contestants' final scores.

Who is the youngest Miss America winner? ›

Scanlan is the youngest winner since the pageant instituted age requirements -- between 18 and 28 starting in 1938. The age limit changed again in 1993 to 17 to 24. In 1933, for instance, when there was no upper or lower age limit, 15-year-old Marian Bergeron of Connecticut captured the title.

Who is Miss California USA 2024? ›

Congratulations to Miss California 2024, Kimberly Vernon!

Can Miss America have tattoos? ›

As can be found in the eligibility requirements on the Miss America website, the rules on body modifications are as follows: Contestant agrees that no tattoos are to be visible. Tattoos are to be covered up with makeup. No pierced tongues or body parts are to be visible except for pierced earrings.

Can Miss USA be divorced? ›

In 2022, the Miss Universe Organization announced that married, divorced and pregnant women could compete for the first time at Miss Universe and Miss USA. Previously, only legally single women without children could compete.

Can a married woman compete in Miss USA? ›

There are no rules when it comes to marital status

You can be married, divorced, a mom, and you can compete at Miss USA and Miss Universe,” Gankiewicz explains.

What state never won Miss USA? ›

Miss USA began in 1952, but not every state has taken home the crown in its 71-year history. Eighteen states have never won Miss USA, including Alaska, Colorado, Florida, and Oregon. South Dakota, Maine, and Wyoming have also never had a winning contestant.

Does Miss USA get paid? ›

As for the prize money, the beauty queen will receive $50,000 in scholarships and will travel the country on behalf of the Miss USA Organization as a “contracted employee,” which will earn her a six-figure salary, plus expenses paid for the entire year.

Who is the most famous Miss America? ›

1. Vanessa Williams: The most famous Miss America ever won her crown in 1983, the first African-American to do so.

What is the rule 7 for Miss America? ›

Instituted under the directorship of Lenora Slaughter, rule number seven stated that "contestants must be of good health and of the white race." As late as 1940, all contestants were required to list, on their formal biological data sheet, how far back they could trace their ancestry.

Do you need a talent for Miss USA? ›

There is no talent portion to the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageant system. There are three scored categories, including interview, evening gown, and swimwear (or for Teens - interview, evening gown, and active wear). Are there any height or weight requirements to compete in the pageant? Absolutely not!

What nationality is Alma Cooper Miss USA? ›

"As the daughter of a migrant worker, a proud Afro-Latina woman, and an officer in the United States Army, I am living the American dream," Cooper stated during the Q&A portion of the pageant, according to CNN and Today.com.

Who is Laylah Rose? ›

She is the recipient and past title holder of America Achievement for Ms. World Achievement, a Visionary Award recipient, and a Board Member of The Global International Pageant Professionals Organization. Recently, she was co-author of a published book 100 Successful Women in Business.

Who won Miss Florida in 2024? ›

Peyton Lewis wins Miss Florida USA 2024.

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