Nebraska's Audrey Eckert Takes the Crown at Miss USA Amid Turbulent Times

The Miss USA pageant has seen better days. It's been a bumpy ride, but the show went on, and Audrey Eckert from Nebraska stole the spotlight. She's 22, smart, and all about digital safety. She beat out 50 other contestants to grab the crown in Reno, Nevada. Ivy Harrington from New Jersey and Chantéa McIntyre from Oregon were right behind her, taking the first and second runner-up spots. This year's pageant was different. It was like a fresh start after a lot of drama. The event lasted five days, with swimwear competitions, eveningwear parades, and Q&As with judges. Eckert, a former cheerleader and University of Nebraska-Lincoln grad, was so emotional when she won that she fell to her knees. It was a big moment, with gold streamers flying everywhere. There was a twist this year. Instead of last year's winner, the crown was handed to her by Miss Universe Victoria Kjær Theilvig. And guess who showed up? Noelia Voigt, last year's Miss USA, who resigned amid a bunch of controversies. She was back as a host for the online broadcast. Talk about a surprise! The pageant has been through a lot lately. Last May, Voigt and Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava quit. Voigt said it was about mental health, but people noticed something fishy. The first letters of her post spelled out "I am silenced. " That got everyone talking. She later said the pageant had a toxic environment and that she was harassed. The pageant's then-president, Laylah Rose, denied everything. Then, a businessman named Thom Brodeur bought the rights to Miss USA and Miss Teen USA. He's now the president and CEO. But Rose said she didn't see any new contracts. It was a mess. The Miss Universe Organization called it a "new chapter, " but Rose's company filed a countersuit, saying they were owed over $116 million. Brodeur took over the pageant's social media accounts and said he wanted to remove restrictions that kept Voigt and Srivastava from speaking out. He said he wanted to give them a voice. The pageant has had a lot of changes in leadership over the years. It was owned by Donald Trump from 1996 to 2015, and then sold to WME-IMG. In 2022, JKN Global Group bought it. This year's contest started with a "state costume" competition, won by Miss Missouri, Shae Smith. There were other preliminary contests and interviews. The pageant also made some big changes this year. They lifted rules that banned women over 28, married women, and mothers from entering. That meant more diverse contestants, like 44-year-old Miss Delaware, Tetra Shockley, the oldest ever to compete. And Miss New Hampshire, MonaLesa Brackett, was the first to wear a hijab. The pageant wasn't on TV this year. It was streamed online. Eckert will now compete at the Miss Universe pageant in Thailand next month. The USA has won the most Miss Universe titles, with nine wins in its history. And on Thursday night, high school student Mailyn Marsh from Missouri was named Miss Teen USA. She's an aspiring dermatologist and won the companion title for contestants aged 14 to 19.