The moment to crown the newest Miss USA is nearly upon us, signaling not just another glittering night of gowns and interviews but a pivotal chapter in the history of one of America’s most storied pageants. The Miss USA competition, long a cultural touchstone for how the nation celebrates beauty, ambition, and public poise, has in recent years endured a turbulent journey marked by accusations of corruption, allegations of harassment, and the unprecedented resignations of two reigning titleholders—an event without precedent in the organization’s seventy-three-year existence. Now, with industry veteran Thom Brodeur stepping in as both the new Chief Executive Officer and President of Miss USA and Miss Teen USA, there is a concerted effort to usher in a renewed era of integrity, transparency, and modernization. Yet before the spotlight turns to the 74th annual coronation on October 24, many are asking: what lies behind the long-running tradition that once launched the careers of household names such as Halle Berry and Olivia Culpo, and who exactly is permitted to step onto this illustrious stage?
The origins of Miss USA trace back to an unexpected act of defiance—one that forever altered the landscape of American pageantry. In 1951, when Yolande Betbeze, the newly crowned Miss America, declined to participate in promotional photography wearing a swimsuit, Catalina, the swimwear company sponsoring the Miss America competition, decided to withdraw its support and establish an alternative showcase entirely under its own direction. Thus, in 1952, Miss USA was born. Jackie Loughery of New York earned the distinction of becoming the inaugural winner, the first woman to wear the Miss USA crown, marking the beginning of a legacy that would, in that same year, also coincide with the debut of the Miss Universe pageant.
Traditionally, the Miss USA competition unfolds in three rigorous phases: the swimsuit segment, designed to evaluate physical fitness and confidence; the evening gown round, where participants demonstrate elegance, style, and stage presence; and the final interview, which tests intelligence, articulation, and charisma under pressure. Unlike Miss America—a pageant renowned for its scholarship-based rewards—Miss USA offers a monetary prize that typically includes a $100,000 salary for the reigning queen, who spends her year fulfilling a demanding schedule of public appearances, charitable initiatives, and speaking engagements. Throughout its history, the organization has emphasized the importance of philanthropy, granting its winners the platform to advance humanitarian causes and raise awareness for issues close to their hearts. Each Miss USA also represents the United States on the global stage at the Miss Universe competition, where American representatives have triumphed nine times, surpassing all other nations. Venezuela, long heralded for its own pageant prowess, trails closely behind with seven victories.
Ownership of the Miss USA brand has shifted hands several times, shaping the direction and values of the organization with every transition. For decades, Miss USA, Miss Teen USA, and Miss Universe were unified under the Miss Universe Organization. Perhaps the most publicly recognized period came when businessman and future U.S. President Donald Trump acquired ownership in 1996. His tenure, however, came to a dramatic close in 2015 when remarks made during the announcement of his presidential bid prompted NBC to sever ties, leading Trump to sell the company to Endeavor shortly thereafter. In 2020, Endeavor franchised both Miss USA and Miss Teen USA to former Miss USA 2008, Crystle Stewart, marking a new chapter led by a former queen herself. However, within two years, the idyll fractured when allegations surfaced that the 2022 Miss USA competition had been rigged. Despite the Miss Universe Organization’s formal investigation concluding without evidence of wrongdoing, Stewart was ultimately suspended, and by August 2023, she parted ways with the organization. Leadership passed to Laylah Rose, under whose tenure new disputes would later emerge.
Meanwhile, another significant corporate pivot occurred as JKN Global Group, a Thai media conglomerate helmed by businesswoman Anne Jakrajutatip, purchased the Miss Universe Organization from Endeavor in October 2022. Less than a year later, JKN installed Thom Brodeur as the latest Miss USA President and CEO, replacing Rose. Concurrently, JKN Universe initiated legal proceedings against Rose’s company, VVV Global Entertainment, over its management of both Miss USA and Miss Teen USA, signaling yet another turn in the ongoing saga of the pageant’s leadership.
Eligibility for Miss USA has evolved considerably, reflecting shifting cultural attitudes toward inclusivity and representation. In 2023, the organization broke with decades of precedent by allowing married women and mothers to compete—something still prohibited by Miss America’s eligibility requirements. The pageant now welcomes women aged eighteen and older, having recently extended its previous age limit of twenty-eight. For younger aspirants aged fourteen to nineteen, Miss Teen USA provides an entry point. Contestants must win their state-level titles, and those who do so are permitted only one attempt at the national crown. Unlike in earlier eras, physical presentation is no longer narrowly defined: Miss USA now explicitly allows contestants with tattoos or those who have undergone cosmetic surgery, and there are no specific height requirements. These reforms collectively signal a step toward a broader, more inclusive definition of beauty and womanhood.
Over the decades, a diverse array of accomplished women has carried the Miss USA title. Among them, Rima Fakih, crowned in 2010, became the first woman of Middle Eastern heritage to win the honor, helping redefine the perception of what an American beauty queen could represent. Currently, Alma Cooper—an officer in the U.S. Army and a graduate of West Point from the state of Michigan—holds the title of Miss USA, embodying a blend of strength, discipline, and grace that underscores the modern reimagining of the crown. Texas remains the standout state in Miss USA’s history, boasting ten winners, including an impressive five-year consecutive run during the 1980s. By contrast, eighteen states, from Alaska to Florida, have yet to capture the national title. Historically, the youngest crowned Miss USA was Myrna Hansen, only seventeen when she triumphed in 1953, while R’Bonney Gabriel made history in 2022 as the oldest winner at age twenty-eight. Milestones in representation have also defined the competition’s legacy: Macel Wilson became the first woman of color and the first Asian American winner in 1962; Laura Martinez-Herring broke barriers for Hispanic representation in 1985; Carole Gist became the first Black woman to win in 1990; and Rima Fakih brought visibility to Arab American identity in 2010. More recently, R’Bonney Gabriel emerged as the first Filipina American Miss USA, while her successor, Noelia Voigt, claimed the title as the first Venezuelan American queen.
However, the Miss USA organization’s recent history has been fraught with controversy, revealing tensions that go far beyond the glimmer of sequins on stage. The tumult of 2022 had barely subsided when, in May 2024, both reigning queens—Miss USA 2023 Noelia Voigt and Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava—resigned within mere days of each other. Their decisions shocked followers and cast a shadow over the organization once again. Bound by non-disclosure agreements that limited public comment, both titleholders offered little detail about their departures. Yet statements from their mothers alleged that the young women endured months of emotional distress and mistreatment under the direction of Laylah Rose, then serving as president and CEO. Rose, for her part, denied the claims. In her official resignation letter, Voigt revealed she had been diagnosed with anxiety as a result of her experience, citing debilitating symptoms and describing her constant fear of harassment. Her deeply personal testimony struck a chord, prompting over forty of her fellow 2023 Miss USA contestants to post a collective statement online demanding her release from the restrictive NDA. In solidarity, Miss Colorado Arianna Lemus relinquished her own title, and Miss Teen USA’s first runner-up, Stephanie Skinner, publicly declined to assume Srivastava’s vacated crown, citing integrity as her guiding principle.
Despite the departures, the 2024 Miss USA and Miss Teen USA competitions proceeded as scheduled, culminating in Alma Cooper and Addie Carver being crowned as the respective winners. Meanwhile, tensions escalated when JKN Global’s lawsuit alleged that Rose’s company had failed to pay Cooper’s $100,000 compensation and Carver’s $10,000 scholarship—claims that, if proven, underscore deep administrative dysfunction. The complaint further contended that due to Rose’s public controversies, the Miss Universe Organization had been unable to secure a U.S. broadcasting partner, an unprecedented setback for an institution once celebrated live on major networks. Voigt, upon learning of the lawsuit, stated she felt vindicated, remarking pointedly that the organization’s glamorous façade was now crumbling beneath public scrutiny.
As all eyes turn toward the 74th annual Miss USA pageant, scheduled for October 24 at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada, fifty-one competitors—from every U.S. state and the District of Columbia—prepare to take the stage in pursuit of the crown that has launched generations of public figures. Both the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA shows will be streamed live on the Queen Beauty Network, marking a continuation of the storied event’s adaptation to the digital age while signaling, perhaps, the dawn of a new and more transparent chapter in its complex history.
Sourse: https://www.businessinsider.com/miss-usa
