Fresh Miss USA Wins Crown Following Turbulent Year in Beauty Pageant Realm – One America News Network
OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
11:55 AM – Tuesday, August 6, 2024
At the yearly pageant held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, August 4th, Miss Michigan Alma Cooper was declared the winner following months of upheaval in the pageant world.
Advertisement
The 22-year-old U.S. Army officer will go on to compete in the November 2024 Miss Universe Pageant as the country’s representative.
“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,” Alma Cooper told judges during a question and answer session at the finale.
Miss Kentucky Connor Perry was named the first runner-up, and Miss Oklahoma Danika Christopherson was named the second runner-up.
Cooper was given the crown by Miss USA 2023 Savannah Gankiewicz, the winner announced in May, not long after Noelia Voigt, the previous title holder, abruptly stepped down.
As the first-ever Venezuelan-American woman to win Miss USA, Voigt announced on Instagram on May 7th that she was giving up the crown, citing mental health struggles.
In the 72-year history of the pageant, she was the first winner to willingly resign.
Following the announcement, Voigt declared that there was a “toxic work environment within the Miss USA organization that, at best, is poor management and, at worst, is poor management, and, at worst, is bullying and harassment” in an eight-page resignation letter that NBC News was able to obtain.
“This toxic atmosphere is a serious concern,” an anonymous insider told reporters. “There is an urgent need for intervention at the leadership level.”
In addition, Voigt specifically condemned Laylah Rose, the CEO and president of Miss USA and Miss Teen USA, claiming that she had “slandered” her and was “generally inaccessible for communication.”
“We are very disappointed to hear the recent false allegations made by individuals speaking on behalf of our former titleholder,” Rose said in a statement, responding to the allegations.
“The allegations of sexual harassment, toxic environment and bullying are not true. To be clear, such behavior is not accepted, and we can assure you that if such behavior ever occurred, we would take immediate steps to protect our titleholder and provide access to appropriate resources,” the letter continues.
It was revealed shortly following Voigt’s departure that Savannah Gankiewicz, 28, had accepted the title of Miss USA 2023.
“I can’t speak on their experience, but I can only judge from mine and it has been nothing but great,” the former Miss Hawaii winner said to People Magazine before this year’s event. “I’ve had the best time of my life, the best three months of my life. I’m honestly so grateful that I took this opportunity.”
Just two days after Voigt stepped down, Miss Teen USA 2023 UmaSofia Srivastava also tendered her resignation, citing a shift in her personal convictions that did not align with the organization’s agenda.
The first runner-up from the previous year, Stephanie Skinner, also declined to accept the title; therefore, it stayed unclaimed.
On August 1st, Addie Carver of Mississippi was crowned the new Miss Teen USA 2024.
“As the next Miss Teen USA, I want to make it my mission to know that every little girl who is just like me…is never alone,” the 17-year-old said on stage on Thursday.
Stay informed! Receive breaking news blasts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts
Advertisements below
