At 31, Justus Kelley, representing Virginia, became the first mother to be crowned Miss Universe USA. The victory was achieved after a change in the contest rules, which since 2023 has allowed married women and mothers to participate. The beauty pageant is going through a moment of transformation regarding the rules that, for decades, defined who could hold the sash and the crown.
The participation of mothers is not entirely unprecedented in the history of American beauty pageants. In 1957, Leona Gage was actually crowned, but was later disqualified after organizers discovered she was married and had children. Nearly seven decades later, Kelley achieves the title under completely different rules.
Kelley's victory represents a significant milestone in the history of beauty pageants, signaling a paradigm shift that expands the inclusion of candidates who would previously have been barred from competing. The Miss Universe USA contest demonstrated, with this rule change, an openness to reflecting more diverse social realities among its participants.
