7 of the most controversial moments in Miss USA history

Contestants in the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants were not allowed to be married or have children until 2023.

But before the rule changed, Mary Leona Gage entered the pageant in 1957 and didn't tell the organization that she was married and had two children, The Baltimore Sun reported. She also told the judges she was 21 when she was actually 18, according to the outlet.

Gage was crowned Miss USA in the pageant, but The Baltimore Sun reported that the organization discovered her secret the next day as she competed for Miss Universe and revoked her title, crown, and prizes. 

She told the outlet in 2005 that she entered the pageant in an attempt to escape the husband she married when she was 14 and make a better life for her children.

Olivia Culpo won the Miss USA pageant in 2012, but Sheena Monnin, who competed as Miss Pennsylvania that year, alleged that the pageant was rigged and the top five contestants were selected before the show started, Business Insider previously reported.

Two days after the pageant, Monnin called out the organization in a Facebook post and announced she was resigning as Miss Pennsylvania, according to The Guardian.

"In good conscience, I can no longer be affiliated in any way with an organization I consider to be fraudulent, lacking in morals, inconsistent, and in many ways trashy," she said in the post.

The Miss Universe Organization, which was owned by Donald Trump at the time, then sued Monnin for $10 million as a result of her comments, The Guardian reported.

In December 2012, an arbitration judge ordered Monnin to pay the pageant $5 million for defamation. According to The Guardian, Monnin's lawyer failed to show up to an arbitration hearing in November 2012 where the case was decided. The outlet reported that he also failed to inform Monnin that the hearing was taking place, so she was unable to defend herself. 

Following the decision, Trump called it an "expensive lesson" for Monnin in a statement shared by TMZ.

"We cannot allow a disgruntled contestant to make false and reckless statements which are damaging to the many people who have devoted their hearts and souls to the Miss Universe, Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageant systems," Trump said. "While I feel very badly for Sheena, she did the wrong thing. She was really nasty, and we had no choice. It is an expensive lesson for her."

In 2013, Monnin sued her former lawyer for malpractice and won. Though the details of the settlement are not public, The Guardian reported that she used the money to pay Miss Universe.

Karlie Hay was crowned Miss Teen USA in 2016 while representing Texas, but shortly after she won the pageant, four tweets in which she used the N-word three years before the pageant surfaced, as People reported at the time.

The Miss Universe pageant said in a statement to ABC13 that Hay's actions were "unacceptable at any age" but that she "was in a different place in her life and made a serious mistake she regrets and for which she sincerely apologizes."

The organization allowed Hay to keep her title, but she released an apology on Instagram.

"Several years ago, I had many personal struggles and found myself in a place that is not representative of who I am as a person," she said. "I admit that I have used language publicly in the past which I am not proud of and that there is no excuse for."

"Through hard work, education and thanks in large part to the sisterhood that I have come to know through pageants, I am proud to say that I am today a better person," she went on to say. "I am honored to hold this title and I will use this platform to promote the values of The Miss Universe Organization, and my own, that recognize the confidence, beauty and perseverance of all women."

Miss Nebraska Sarah Rose Summers won the Miss USA pageant in 2018 and went on to compete at Miss Universe that year. 

But Summers received backlash after she commented on two of her Miss Universe competitors' English language skills during an Instagram live video, according to People. 

She said Miss Vietnam H'Hen Niê was "adorable" when describing her English language skills.

"She's so cute and she pretends to know so much English and then you ask her a question after having a whole conversation with her and she goes," trailing off and nodding her head in an apparent imitation of Niê. 

Summers also mentioned Miss Cambodia Rern Sinat in the video.

"Miss Cambodia is here and doesn't speak any English, and not a single person here speaks her language," she said. "Can you imagine? Francesca said that it would be very isolating and I think yes, and just confusing all the time."

Social media users accused Summers of bullying at the time, and she issued an apology on Instagram, sharing a photo of herself and Miss Colombia Valeria Morales and Miss Australia Francesca Hung, who were in the video with her, hugging Sinat and Niê. 

"In a moment where I intended to admire the courage of a few of my sisters, I said something that I now realize can be perceived as not respectful, and I apologize," she said in the apology. "My life, friendships, and career revolve around me being a compassionate and empathetic woman."

"I would never intend to hurt another," she went on to say. "I am grateful for opportunities to speak with Nat, Miss Cambodia, and H'Hen, Miss Vietnam, directly about this experience. These are the moments that matter most to me."

A day after R'Bonney Gabriel took the crown at Miss USA 2022, more than a dozen contestants claimed the pageant had been rigged in her favor. 

"A lot of the girls felt like it was the organization's plan from the beginning for R'Bonney to win, no matter who else was competing," Miss Missouri 2022, Mikala McGhee, told BI at the time.

The Miss Universe Organization launched an official investigation and suspended Miss USA president Crystle Stewart as contestants pointed to multiple conflicts of interest between Gabriel and Miss USA's national sponsors. At the time, a representative for Stewart told BI that she was cooperating with the investigation. 

Gabriel went on to win Miss Universe in January, telling BI after the pageant that it was "the sweetest victory." 

"I hope it just proves to everyone, not as revenge, but just shows people that I deserve this," she added. 

In August, the Miss Universe Organization said that it had found the rigging allegations were false after a "thorough and extensive investigation." It also announced Stewart would no longer be president of Miss USA after they failed to reach an agreement on her continuing involvement with the organization. A representative for Stewart did not respond to a request for comment on the former Miss USA president stepping back from the organization. 

"Crystle has decided to leverage the success she has had with the Miss USA Organization to pursue other entrepreneurial passions," the statement from the Miss Universe Organization read. "We wish Crystle, and her team at Miss Brand, all the best and have no doubt that she will excel in this next chapter." 

As the rigging allegations made headlines, it was revealed that multiple contestants of the Miss USA 2021 pageant had reported that Stewart's husband, Max Sebrechts — who was vice president of Miss USA at the time — sexually harassed them during the competition. 

In a statement sent to BI, a spokesperson for Miss Universe said the organization was made aware of the allegations against Sebrechts in late December 2021 and "immediately requested a review." 

"The Miss USA franchisee, Miss Brand, removed the employee from its organization in January 2022 and new protocols and processes were established and put in place," they added. 

BI obtained a letter that was sent to the 2021 contestants, informing them that Sebrechts was stepping down as vice president in January 2022. The letter said Sebrechts was "focusing his efforts on other business ventures" and did not mention the allegations. Sebrechts denied the allegations to BI. 

Stewart and Sebrechts have since separated. 

On May 6, Voigt — who was crowned Miss USA in September — shocked many in the pageant community when she relinquished her title. It was the first time in history a Miss USA winner had resigned. 

"I realize this may come as a large shock to many," Voigt wrote in a statement on Instagram. "Never compromise your physical and mental well-being. Our health is our wealth. A million thank you's to all of you for your constant and unwavering support. Time to write the next chapter. I hope you'll stick around to see what's next."

On May 8, Srivastava announced she was also giving up her crown. In a statement shared on Instagram, Srivastava said she had made the decision to resign "as I find that my personal values no longer fully align with the direction of the organization."

"I look forward to the rest of the year as I finish 11th grade as part of the National Honor Society and start the college application process," she added. "Thank you to those who support me for who I am and have always been, not for who I've momentarily become."