Justus Kelly, 31, was announced as the winner of Miss USA 2026 on Thursday, August 27. In the event's 75-year history, she became the first married titleholder, the first mother and the first beauty queen over 30, People notes.
Kelly was presented with the crown by last year's winner Audrey Eckert, who is seven years younger than her. The Miss USA pageant previously had an upper age limit of 28 years old, but this has been eliminated in 2024. Apart from the age of majority, there are no other age requirements for participants.
As People notes, the award ceremony was almost marred by injuries. On the way to her successor, Eckert stumbled twice and almost dropped her crown. She was helped to her feet by the host of the event in Miami (Florida), actor Ian Ziering.
Some Instagram users expressed dissatisfaction with Kelly's victory. They noted that the pageant is called Miss USA, and that married women, in their opinion, should compete for the title of Mrs. USA. Miss USA organizers have waived the marital status requirement for contestants in 2023.
Earlier this year, Kelly won the Miss Virginia USA qualifier in the state where she lives with her husband and stepchildren, a daughter and son. During the final Q&A with the Miss USA jury, she emphasized her marital status as a reason to award her the win.
“I’m 31 years old and I’ve been married to my college sweetheart for nine years,” the future winner emphasized.
After her victory, she also noted that she wore second-hand outfits in all rounds of the competition (including the swimsuit competition, which she also won). She noted that she successfully tested this approach in a statewide competition.
“As soon as I showed up, the judges said I looked amazing. And I told them: “Thank you, it cost $9.99 at Goodwill,” Fashion Times quotes Kelly, who will now receive $685,000 for winning.
As The Sun notes, working with children is the main profession of the new Miss USA. In Virginia, she created the Foster Footprints network of support for children in foster care, which also operates in Maryland and the capital Washington. She is also a philanthropy advisor at a children's hospital.
For Virginia, Kelly's victory was the first since 1970. The title of “Vice Miss USA” at the competition was received by Eileen Cerciara from Florida, third place was taken by Elizabeth Voigt from Pennsylvania, fourth place by Madeline Erickson from Iowa, and fifth place by Ilasia Christopher from Utah.
