PAGEANT Circle

Miss USA 2021 Elle Smith of Kentucky went to social media to defend her successor R'Bonney Gabriel of Texas whom she crowned on Monday, October 3 in Reno, Nevada. "Right now, all I feel is concern and pity for R'Bonney," she said amid the viral allegations attacking the Miss USA Organization. "I understand how isolating it is to win Miss USA and I also understand what it is like to have your class try and discredit your win, and say that they are attacking the organization and not you," she added. Elle then went on to share her own similar experience with her fellow competitors after winning last year. "Last year, my class attempted to say that the organization favored me and they came up with all these different claims, I then debunked all their claims to prove them wrong, this class [2022] is doing the same exact thing to R'Bonney," she said. She continued, "There's not one person in the pageant world and not one person in that class

The Miss USA organization has finally shared the crowning moment of this year's winner from Kentucky, Miss USA 2021 Elle Smith. The 23-year-old journalist was crowned by Asya Branch of Mississippi during Monday night's glittering final competition in Tulsa, Oklahoma. "I am thrilled and honored to be your Miss USA 2021. I can’t say thank you enough to every single person who has supported me on this journey. Every single comment, every single message, and prayer did not go unnoticed," she shared on her social media page. "To the great state of Kentucky, you will forever have my heart. You believed and loved on me since I was crowned in May and there is no other state I would have wanted to represent on the Miss USA stage," she added. Elle is now heading to Israel where she will represent the USA at the 70th Miss Universe pageant on December 12. Photos: Felipe Espinal / Miss USA

(Miss USA 2020 Asya Branch) Miss USA 2021 will be held on Monday, November 29 at the Paradise Cove Theater of River Spirit Casino Resort in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The 70th edition of the competition will be hosted by American TV personality Zuri Hall and Hollywood's top makeup artist Patrick Ta, while media personality Nicole Adamo to serve as a lounge host. At the end of the event, Asya Branch of Mississippi will crown her successor, who will go on to represent the United States at the Miss Universe 2021 pageant. This will be the second consecutive year to be broadcast on FYI, and the first to be streamed live on Hulu. The edition will mark the first year of the competition under Crystle Stewart's directorship. Here are our Top 11 favorite headshots displayed on missusa.com : Arizona California Delaware Florida Kentucky Mississippi North Carolina Pennsylvania South Carolina Tennessee Vermont Special mentions: Illinois, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio

Miss Silver State, Kataluna Enriquez, edged out over 20 other contestants to be crowned Miss Nevada USA 2021 in a state competition held on Sunday, June 27 in Las Vegas. The 27-year-old Filipino-American beauty succeeds last year's winner Victoria Olona of Paradise. She will represent the state of Nevada at the Miss USA 2021 pageant in Tulsa, Oklahoma this November. Kataluna has made history by becoming the first ever transgender woman to compete at Miss USA. Photos: Kataluna Enriquez / Instagram

Gracie Hunt, representing Kansas City, was crowned Miss Kansas USA 2021 in a glittering competition held on Sunday, April 11 at the B&B Live Performing Arts Theatre in Shawnee. The 21-year-old works in marketing and development for the Kansas City Chiefs and currently pursuing her master’s in sport management from the University of Kansas. She is a global ambassador for Special Olympics, a certified health and fitness coach with Celiac disease, and founded the nonprofit Breaking Barriers Through Sports in 2016 to aid the disadvantaged and promote respect and inclusion worldwide. Gracie succeeds Hayden Brax and will now prepare to represent her state at the Miss USA 2021 pageant. The new Miss Kansas USA is the daughter of Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt and former titleholder Tavia Shackles, who finished as a runner-up in Miss USA 1993. "I cannot put into words how honored I am to join the VANBROS family and Miss Kansas USA legacy & represent the amazing state of Kansas," she po