Miss USA Crowns New Winner at 2025 Pageant

Miss USA has crowned its 2025 titleholder!

Miss Nebraska, Audrey Eckert, was crowned by Miss Universe 2024, Victoria Kjær Theilvig, amid 2024 Miss USA Alma Cooper's absence from the pageant on Friday, Oct. 24.

Miss New Jersey, Ivy Harrington, was named the first runner-up.

Just hours before the pageant was slated to begin, Cooper took to her Instagram to announce that she would not be returning to the pageant in Reno this year to crown her successor.

"After much consideration, I’ve made the extremely difficult decision not to attend this year’s Miss USA pageant and crowning ceremony to instead stand in honor of my values, work, and resolve," the former titleholder wrote in the caption of her post.

"As I close this chapter, I do so with the knowledge that I finished what I started with integrity and my self-worth held high, just like the crown I was honored to wear."

The Miss USA organization recently underwent changes internally, with a shakeup in leadership. In September, pageant coach and judge Thom Brodeur announced on Instagram that he would be acquiring the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA brands, which were previously led by Laylah Rose.

In his career update post, Brodeur referred to himself as the organization's Chairman, President and CEO. Days later, Rose — who has been the president and CEO of both brands since 2023 — refuted the claim with a statement jointly posted on the official Miss USA and Miss Teen USA Instagram pages.

However, almost a week later, on Sept. 15, the Miss Universe organization — which owns both Miss USA and Miss Teen USA — officially named Brodeur as Rose's replacement in a press release.

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Last year, Cooper was named Miss USA 2024; she was crowned by 2023 titleholder Savannah Gankiewicz, who became the default winner in May of last year, shortly after the shocking resignation of the former titleholder, Noelia Voigt.

Shortly after Voigt relinquished her crown in May 2024, Miss Teen USA 2023 UmaSofia Srivastava took the same action, leading many to wonder what pushed the two winners to their decisions.

Voigt said her choice was to protect her mental health; however, Srivastava explained that she chose to resign because her “personal values no longer fully align with the direction of the organization,” per her Instagram statement.

Prior to both of their resignations, another employee of the Miss USA organization, the social media director, also resigned from her post. She claimed in a statement that the organization did not support her role or offer enough respect to the titleholders.

“I feel the way current management speaks about their titleholders is unprofessional and inappropriate,” she wrote in her statement on Instagram, adding, “I disavow workplace toxicity and bullying of any kind.”

Following Voigt’s resignation, the Miss USA organization thanked Voigt for her time in the role and wished her well in a statement obtained by PEOPLE.

"The well-being of our titleholders is a top priority, and we understand her need to prioritize herself at this time," the statement read. "We are currently reviewing plans for the transition of responsibilities to a successor, and we will soon announce the crowning of the new Miss USA."

The Miss USA organization is now headed by new CEO and chairman Thom Brodeur. At the time of his acquisition in September 2025, he told PEOPLE that he was working through a contract reform process meant to entitle winners to more freedoms in response to Voigt and Srivastava's bombshell actions.

"There was some pretty egregious NDA language that suppressed the voices of those two young women and did not give them the ability to speak about their journey. I want to remove that restriction," Brodeur claimed last month. "I think if you have nothing to hide, there's no reason to hide."

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Shortly after Rose was ousted from her Miss USA leadership post, Business Insider reported that CEO Anne Jakrajutatip's company, which owns Miss Universe, was taking legal action against VVV Global Ent., the company owned by Rose, who is also allegedly its sole employee, per the complaint.

Per the outlet, the complaint claimed VVV did not pay Miss USA 2024 winner Alma Cooper her full $100,000 salary. It also alleged that Rose's company did not deliver the promised prize scholarship money to Srivastava nor to Miss Teen USA 2024 winner Addie Carver. Rose has denied many of the allegations and the case is ongoing.

After news of the lawsuit broke, Voigt told Business Insider that she felt "vindicated" by the actions taken by Miss Universe's owner. "The facade is crumbling big time," the former pageant queen said.

Despite her bombshell resignation, Voigt did return to the Miss USA stage this year to co-host the 2025 preliminary round on Wednesday, Oct. 22. She shared the stage with fellow emcee Sean Michael Rae.