Finally, a new Miss USA has been crowned. Following months of upheaval in the pageant world, Miss Michigan Alma Cooper was declared the winner on Sunday, August 4, at the annual pageant held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The 22-year-old U.S. Army officer will now represent the United States in the 2024 Miss Universe Pageant in November.
Cooper became the third person to hold the title this year after the unexpected resignation of the 2023 winner. In a pageant that included swimwear and evening gown segments, Cooper emerged victorious over 50 other contestants. Kentucky’s Connor Perry was named first runner-up, while Oklahoma’s Danika Christopherson became the second runner-up.
A New Miss USA Is Crowned
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“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,” Cooper, who has a Master’s in data science from Stanford University, told judges during a Q&A session at the pageant finale, according to CNN.
“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.”
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The first runner-up was Miss Kentucky, Connor Perry, and the second runner-up was Miss Oklahoma, Danika Christopherson.
Cooper was crowned by Miss USA 2023, Savannah Gankiewicz, who had been named the winner in May, shortly after the unexpected resignation of the former title holder, Noelia Voigt.
Voigt, the first Venezuelan-American woman to win Miss USA, announced her resignation on Instagram on May 7, citing her mental health as the reason. She was the first title holder in the pageant’s 72-year history to voluntarily step down.
Following the announcement, Voigt claimed in an eight-page resignation letter, obtained by NBC News, that there was a “toxic work environment within the Miss USA organization that ranged from poor management to bullying and harassment.”
End of the Scandal
Voigt specifically named Laylah Rose, the president and CEO of the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA organizations, accusing her of being “generally inaccessible for communication” and allegedly “slandered” her.
Rose replied to the allegations in her own open letter, writing: “We are very disappointed to hear the recent false allegations made by individuals speaking on behalf of our former titleholder.”
The letter continued, “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.”
Shortly after Voigt‘s resignation, it was announced that 28-year-old Gankiewicz accepted the crown and the title of Miss USA 2023.
