Nebraska’s Audrey Eckert wins Miss USA 2025
Audrey Eckert from Nebraska wins Miss USA 2025 as the pageant returns under new ownership after months of scandals and leadership turmoil.
Audrey Eckert, a 22-year-old digital safety advocate from Nebraska, was crowned Miss USA 2025 on Friday at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada. She triumphed over 50 contestants, with Ivy Harrington of New Jersey and Chantéa McIntyre of Oregon finishing as first and second runners-up, News.Az reports, citing CNN.
The pageant returned under new ownership following nearly 18 months of controversy, including the resignation of Miss USA 2023, Utah’s Noelia Voigt, amid allegations of mistreatment. The event’s organizers have hailed Eckert’s win as the start of a “new era” for the long-running competition.
The finale concluded a five-day event featuring swimwear competitions, evening gown parades, and question-and-answer rounds with judges. Eckert, a former cheerleader and University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduate, was visibly emotional as gold streamers rained down during her crowning. In a break from tradition, reigning Miss Universe Victoria Kjær Theilvig crowned Eckert instead of last year’s winner, Alma Cooper of Michigan. Voigt returned to co-host the official online broadcast, having also co-hosted a preliminary event earlier in the week.
The Miss USA pageant faced upheaval last May when Voigt and Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava resigned amid claims of a “toxic work environment” and restrictive non-disclosure agreements. Allegations included poor management and harassment, which were consistently denied by the pageant’s then-president, Laylah Rose.
In recent months, businessman Thom Brodeur acquired the rights to Miss USA and Miss Teen USA from the Miss Universe Organization, assuming the role of president and CEO. The change in ownership sparked legal disputes with Rose’s company, VVV Global, which filed countersuits alleging over $116 million in damages and lost profits.
Brodeur has emphasized a fresh start, pledging to lift previous restrictions on contestants’ voices and restore confidence in the pageant’s operations.
Founded in 1952, Miss USA has seen multiple leadership changes, including ownership under Donald Trump (1996–2015) and the current license held by JKN Global Group since 2022. Despite past controversies, the pageant remains a major event in the American pageantry scene, with Audrey Eckert now at the forefront of its new chapter.
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