Miss USA 2024: All you need to know about the front-runners for the most controversial pageant ever
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: It is almost time to crown the new Miss USA. So, who do the people predict will win the title this year?
The Miss Universe Organization said that ladies who are 28 years of age and older would be able to compete in this edition of the competition. The only age ranges in previous versions were above 18 and below 28.
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The August 2023 state pageant delegate selection process was expected to start, however, it was postponed indefinitely with the hiring of Laylah Rose as president and CEO. Then, in March 2024, the state pageants were postponed.
Florida had its final state pageant on July 7, 2024, and Tennessee hosted its inaugural one on March 9, 2024. In prior years, the state pageant season lasted for around five to seven months.
Representatives from every state and federal district will be vying for the title of Miss USA as of July 7, 2024.
Even though chances for Nevada, Texas, Mississippi, Tennessee look pretty sleek, fans on social media has their hearts set on Peyton Lewis from Florida. At the age of 18, she received the title of Miss Osceola County, paving the way for her future success.
Fast-forward 7 years, and Peyton returned to Miss Florida USA as Miss Lake Nona and won the title of Miss Florida USA 2024. She is a light of encouragement and strength for women throughout.
Who is eligible to compete at Miss USA?
Over the previous few years, there have been significant changes to the Miss USA eligibility requirements. While it is still not allowed in the Miss America contest, married women and moms are now allowed to compete in the competition starting in 2023.
All women who are 18 years of age or older can now participate in Miss USA for the first time; before, the age restriction was 28. At Miss Teen USA, women can compete between the ages of 14 and 19.
You are only allowed to compete once for the title of Miss USA or Miss Teen USA after winning a state pageant.
It is permitted for Miss USA competitors to get cosmetic surgery or get tattoos. Furthermore, there is no height restriction.
Who has been the owner of Miss USA?
Up until 2020, the Miss Universe Organization ran the Miss USA, Miss Teen USA, and Miss Universe pageants. From 1996 to 2015, Donald Trump was the owner of the Miss Universe Organization.
After NBC canceled the program due to racial statements he made while declaring his intention to run for president in 2016, he sold the firm to Endeavor.
Crystle Stewart, the 2008 Miss USA winner, was given the franchise for Miss USA and Miss Teen USA in 2020. Every country pageant that sends delegates to Miss Universe is still supervised by the Miss Universe Organization, which also has the last word in disputes.
Crystle was suspended by the organization in October 2022 as a result of claims that the Miss USA contest had been corrupted that year.
Crystle and the Miss Universe Organization split up in August 2023, despite the organization's claim that it did not discover any proof of manipulation during their inquiry. Laylah was crowned the next president of Miss USA.
In October 2022, Endeavor sold the Miss Universe Organization to Anne Jakrajutatip and her business, JKN Global Group, which is situated in Thailand.
Miss USA 2024 embroiled in controversies
After the 2022 controversies, the news of Miss USA reappeared just as the dust had begun to settle. Noelia Voigt said on May 6 that she was relinquishing her crown.
UmaSofia Srivastava did likewise two days later.
The two women withheld much of the facts of their resignations, citing strict nondisclosure agreements they were required to sign in order to compete in 2023. However, in a May interview with Business Insider, their mothers, Jackeline Voigt and Barbara Srivastava, said that their daughters had endured "eight months of torture and abuse" when Laylah served as Miss USA's president and CEO.
Requests for comments about the moms' claims were not answered by Laylah's or Miss USA's representatives.
Throughout their reigns, the moms said Laylah's interactions with Jackeline and Barbara were "very abusive, very diminishing, very gaslighting" and that she frequently forbade them from making appearances or giving speeches, even when such appearances or speeches had to do with their charitable endeavors. Their daughters's access to the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA social media sites was allegedly taken away by Laylah, who then started pretending to be them in the comments.
BI was able to obtain Noelia's official resignation letter, in which she stated that she was diagnosed with anxiety in order to manage symptoms such as "heart palpitations, full body shakes, loss of hair" that developed "due to consistently being on edge, worrying about what Laylah will pop up with and choose to harass me about daily."
"It is devastating and unacceptable that my mind and body have been so horrifically affected by the treatment I have received at the hands of current Miss USA leadership," she continued in the letter.
More than forty Miss USA 2023 hopefuls demanded that Noelia be freed from the NDA in a shared Instagram statement following her resignation. In a show of solidarity, Miss Colorado Arianna Lemus also tendered her resignation, while Stephanie Skinner, the first runner-up in Miss Teen USA, declined to take on UmaSofia's title.
"One thing I will never give up is my character, nor my integrity," Stephanie told BI at the time.
The Miss Universe Organization, which continues to be in charge of the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants, has not opened an inquiry. The CW Network announced in May that it was "evaluating its relationship with both pageants."
The CW Network and Miss USA and Miss Teen USA inked a three-year contract in April.
The Miss Universe Organization did not mention Laylah's situation or the Miss USA contest in a statement to BI. A spokesperson stated that the group "remains steadfast in its mission to empower women and promote global unity" while remaining "committed to addressing all concerns with the seriousness they deserve and ensuring that our platform remains a beacon of fairness, inclusivity, and respect."
