Miss USA 2024 Alma Cooper announced just hours before the pageant that she would not attend the event in Nevada or crown her successor Friday night.
Cooper shared that she made the “extremely difficult decision” to withdraw from the Miss USA 2025 competition in Reno, explaining that her time in the pageant world has come to an end.
“As I close this chapter, I do so knowing I finished what I started—with integrity and my self-worth held high, just like the crown I was honored to wear,” she wrote in a reflective Instagram post.
Alma Cooper, who was crowned Miss USA on August 4, 2024, in Los Angeles, celebrated her win as the representative of her home state of Michigan. The 23-year-old West Point graduate went on to represent the United States at the Miss Universe 2024 competition.
“In every aspect of my life, I strive for excellence,” Cooper said. “I carried that same mindset into Miss USA, driven by the chance to inspire young people around the world — both at Miss Universe and in communities across our nation. Excellence means little if it ends with me; I want my growth to be something others can build upon.”
Her Instagram post featured photos of her wearing a mini dress and her Miss USA sash on Stanford University’s campus, where she is currently a Knight-Hennessy Fellow.
Cooper did not place at last year’s Miss Universe competition in Mexico, where Miss Denmark, Victoria Kjær Theilvig, took home the crown.
Alma Cooper made history as the first active-duty Army officer ever to be crowned Miss USA.
Alma Cooper did not provide a reason for her absence from Friday night’s Miss USA 2025 pageant, where tradition calls for the outgoing titleholder to crown her successor.
Cooper reflected on the challenges she faced after becoming the first active-duty Army officer to win Miss USA, describing the immense pressure that came with balancing her duties and preparing for Miss Universe.
“I felt a responsibility as a role model for others, and I refused to let anyone down. Still, the pressure of working under such harsh circumstances while staring down the fast-approaching Miss Universe competition—where I’d face women competing with the full support of their countries—made me a shell of my former self,” she wrote in an essay for People.
To support her mental health, Cooper began running, completing three marathons before joining the Army Recruiting Division, where she rediscovered her sense of purpose.
“As I traveled coast to coast, talking to thousands of the brightest, most motivated young people in the country, I continued to find hope in the human spirit. What I didn’t expect were the many people who found hope in mine,” she shared.
Miss Denmark Victoria Kjær Theilvig, who was crowned Miss Universe 2024, stepped in for Cooper at the event, crowning Nebraska representative Audrey Eckert as Miss USA 2025 at the Grand Sierra Resort.
“Tonight I am here with a lot of mixed emotions — it’s my last national coronation and my last show. I’m filled with gratitude and happiness, but I’m also really emotional tonight,” Theilvig said in an Instagram post.
Eckert, 23, a graduate of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, earned the Miss USA 2025 title after defeating first runner-up Ivy Harrington of New Jersey.
Alma Cooper competed at the 73rd Miss USA Pageant on August 4, 2024, amid a turbulent period for the organization. Over the past year and a half, the pageant faced multiple scandals, culminating in a major leadership shake-up last month.
The unrest began in May 2024 when both Miss USA titleholder Noelia Voigt and Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava resigned their crowns. Srivastava cited a misalignment between her personal values and the direction of the organization.
According to insiders, Voigt and Srivastava had been wearing their crowns under restrictive contracts, expected to maintain smiles despite “harmful workplace conditions.” As a result, previous runner-ups were elevated before Cooper ultimately claimed the Miss USA 2024 title.
The turmoil reached its peak in September when CEO Laylah Rose was replaced by longtime coach and judge Thom Brodeur, who assumed the roles of chief executive, chairman, and president of both Miss USA and Miss Teen USA.
“We are bringing a transformational vision rooted in technology, media, and fan engagement to modernize and revitalize these titles for the next generation of powerhouse women and their worldwide fan base,” Brodeur said in a statement released by the Miss Universe Organization, which oversees both pageants.
The leadership overhaul postponed the Miss USA coronation from its usual August schedule to October, just weeks before Miss Universe 2025, set to begin in Thailand on November 21.
