Miss USA 2025 Controversy: Alma Cooper Skips Crowning, Miss Universe Steps In

Miss USA 2025 Crowned Amid Controversy

• 👑 Nebraska's Audrey Eckert has been crowned Miss USA 2025, triumphing over 50 other contestants.
• 💔 The crowning ceremony was marked by controversy as the reigning Miss USA, Alma Cooper, refused to attend.

Alma Cooper's Absence

• 📝 Alma Cooper announced her decision not to attend the pageant on Instagram, stating she made an "extremely difficult decision" to withdraw.
• 🌟 She expressed that she closed her chapter as Miss USA with integrity and self-worth, honoring the crown she wore.
• 🎓 Cooper, a West Point graduate, did not provide specific reasons for her absence.

Support and Alternative Crowning

• 🗣️ A former Miss USA suggested that Alma Cooper had managed her title independently for the past year without a team.
• 👑 In Alma Cooper's absence, the Miss Universe titleholder stepped in to crown the new Miss USA 2025.
• 💬 Audrey Eckert acknowledged the situation, stating they wished Alma could have been there but welcomed the opportunity to be crowned by Miss Universe.

Tumultuous Times for Miss USA Organization

• ⚠️ The Miss USA organization has faced recent challenges, including the resignations of Miss USA and Miss Teen USA last year due to allegations of a toxic work environment.
• 🏢 The pageant is currently under new ownership.
• 📣 Eckert, a graduate of the University of Nebraska and former Huskers cheerleader, expressed her excitement about winning her "biggest dream."