Miss Universe

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Octogenarian Nearly Became the Oldest Miss Universe Contestant

Choi Soon-hwa made it to finals of Miss Universe Korea pageant, but won't advance

(Newser) - Choi Soon-hwa may not have won Miss Universe Korea, but her appearance at Monday's pageant proved, as CNN put it, that "age is just a number." Choi, variously reported as 80 or 81, had hopes of becoming the oldest woman ever to compete in the Miss Universe...

Moms of Former Miss USA and Miss Teen USA Speak Up
After Miss USA, Miss Teen USA
Step Down, Moms Speak Up
the rundown
May 15, 2024 12:30 AM CDT

After Miss USA, Miss Teen USA Step Down, Moms Speak Up

Beauty queens are still bound by confidentiality agreements after abrupt resignations

(Newser) - After the abrupt resignation of Miss USA 2023 , followed quickly thereafter by the resignation of Miss Teen USA 2023 , the moms of both are speaking out on behalf of their daughters, who are bound contractually by confidentiality clauses. Current title holders from the 50 other state pageants expressed support for...

This Country Gets Its First Miss Universe Crown

Miss Nicaragua Sheynnis Palacios wins 72nd edition of the beauty pageant

(Newser) - Miss Nicaragua Sheynnis Palacios won the Miss Universe competition late Saturday in El Salvador, the first to wear the crown from her country. Palacios is a 23-year-old communicologist, reports the AP , who says she wants to work to promote mental health after suffering debilitating bouts of anxiety herself. Miss Thailand,...

Miss Netherlands Scores a First
Miss Netherlands
Scores a First
Jul 10, 2023 11:10 AM CDT

Miss Netherlands Scores a First

Rikkie Valerie Kolle is the first trans woman with the crown and will compete for Miss Universe

(Newser) - Here she is—Miss Netherlands. And for the first time, Miss Netherlands is a transgender woman. With her new crown, Rikkie Valerie Kolle will be the second trans woman to compete for the title of Miss Universe later this year, NPR reports. Kolle is looking to support young women and...

Miss USA Crowned Miss Universe
Miss USA Crowned
Miss Universe
Jan 15, 2023 10:05 AM CST

Miss USA Crowned Miss Universe

R'Bonney Gabriel teaches sewing to human trafficking survivors

(Newser) - R'Bonney Gabriel, a fashion designer, model, and sewing instructor from Texas who competition officials said is the first Filipino American to win Miss USA, was crowned Miss Universe on Saturday night. Gabriel closed her eyes and clasped hands with runner-up Miss Venezuela, Amanda Dudamel, at the moment of the...

Transgender Tycoon Buys Miss Universe Organization

Chakrapong Chakrajutathib is a prominent trans activist in Thailand

(Newser) - A Thai business tycoon and transgender activist has purchased the Miss Universe Organization for $20 million, her company announced Wednesday. Chakrapong "Anne" Chakrajutathib, who controls JKN Global Group Public Co. Ltd., is a celebrity in Thailand who has starred in reality shows and is outspoken about being a transgender...

Steve Harvey Takes Heat for Miss Universe Question

Host requested that Miss India Harnaaz Sandhu do her best animal impression

(Newser) - If you're vying to become Miss Universe, it's expected you'll have to wear a swimsuit, brag about your accomplishments, and answer some questions. During Sunday's competition in Eilat, Israel, Miss India was instead thrown by a rather unusual request from host Steve Harvey. "I hear...

Tim Tebow Weds Former Miss Universe
Tim Tebow Is
Now a Married Man
Jan 21, 2020 7:43 AM CST

Tim Tebow Is Now a Married Man

He weds South African former Miss Universe

(Newser) - After a yearlong engagement , the former star quarterback has married the beauty queen. Heisman-winner Tim Tebow, who switched sports and is now part of the New York Mets' minor league system, has married Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, a former Miss Universe from South Africa, USA Today reports. They tied the knot in...

A Big First in the Beauty Pageant Arena

After Miss Jamaica wins Miss World, black women now hold titles in all 5 major beauty pageants

(Newser) - This year was "historic" in the beauty pageant world, per the Washington Post , capped off by a win by Miss Jamaica Toni-Ann Singh in the Miss World contest Saturday. What Singh's victory means beyond her own event is that, for the first time ever, the titles of all...

1st Miss Universe Contestant Comes Out

Swe Zin Htet is from Myanmar

(Newser) - She's known to fans as "Superman," and not for nothing. Swe Zin Htet of Myanmar just became the first openly gay Miss Universe contestant at a time when same-sex relations are illegal in her home country, People reports. "I have that platform that, if I say...

Tim Tebow Engaged to Former Miss Universe

He announces engagement to Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters with Instagram post

(Newser) - Former Denver Broncos and University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow is engaged, the AP reports. The Heisman Trophy winner announced his engagement to Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, a South Africa native and the 2017 Miss Universe , with an Instagram post Thursday. The 31-year-old Tebow posted photos of himself down on one knee...

Trump Hand-Picked Finalists in His Miss Universe Pageants

'New Yorker' looks at tangled business interests, and the potential fallout in the Mueller inquiry

(Newser) - The Miss Universe judges may have thought they were calling the shots, but Donald Trump apparently had the most sway in picking winners. A lengthy New Yorker story by Jeffrey Toobin recounts how Trump, when he owned the pageant from 1996 to 2015, would talk to contestants himself during rehearsals,...

New Miss Universe Will Focus on Self-Defense

Latest winner is from South Africa

(Newser) - Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, who represented South Africa, won the Miss Universe crown Sunday. The 22-year-old, who wants to use her reign to champion HIV/AIDS and self-defense causes, was crowned at the AXIS theater at Planet Hollywood on the Las Vegas Strip, the AP reports. "HIV/AIDS is a very big problem...

How Miss Universe Connected Trump Jr. With Russian Lawyer

A request allegedly led to a request

(Newser) - As his father often does, Donald Trump Jr. took to Twitter in the wake of his headline-grabbing admission that he met with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya last year after being told she had information that could help his father's campaign. "Obviously I'm the first person on a...

France Waited 60 Years for This Miss Universe Crown

Iris Mittenaere says she'll help underprivileged kids get an education

(Newser) - A 23-year-old dental student from France won the Miss Universe crown Monday in a pageant held in the Philippines, saying her triumph will make the beauty contest more popular in Europe and help her efforts to put more underprivileged children in school. Iris Mittenaere from Lille city in northern France...

Just-Crowned Miss Teen USA Sorry for Racial Slurs

Texas high school senior took to Twitter at 2am Sunday to do damage control

(Newser) - Miss Teen USA 2016 was supposed to take a step in the direction of feminism and equal rights as the contest ditched the swimsuits for athletic wear . But in the wee hours following the event that crowned Miss Texas Karlie Hay, the 18-year-old high school senior took to Twitter to...

Miss Teen USA Is Ditching Its Swimsuits

Athletic wear will replace swimwear at this year's pageant

(Newser) - Miss Teen USA is putting its money where its mouth is. After years of claiming the swimsuit portion of the competition was meant to put women's athleticism on display, USA Today reports the pageant is finally doing away with swimsuits altogether. Instead, contestants will appear in athletic wear or...

Miss Universe: I'm Not Sharing the Crown, Thanks

Pia Wurtzbach talks to 'Good Morning America'

(Newser) - Pia Wurtzbach gave her first sit-down as Miss Universe to Good Morning America on Monday, and she graciously pooh-poohed the idea that's been making the rounds that she should perhaps share the crown with runner-up, Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez, who was briefly and incorrectly crowned Miss Universe . "I...

Miss Colombia: This Was 'My Destiny'

Ariadna Gutiérrez posts message to Instagram

(Newser) - Miss Colombia is a gracious winner-er-oops!-actually-runner-up. Ariadna Gutiérrez posted a message on Instagram Tuesday after she was accidentally crowned Miss Universe , then quickly un-crowned, People reports. "After the storm comes the calm," she writes. "I am the most fortunate and thankful for having the support...

After Miss Universe Flub, Conspiracy Theories Abound
After Miss Universe Flub, Conspiracy Theories Abound
the rundown
Dec 21, 2015 11:21 AM CST

After Miss Universe Flub, Conspiracy Theories Abound

While Miss Colombia wins praise for her 'grace and class'

(Newser) - Maybe the only thing more unusual than the Miss Universe pageant crowning the wrong winner is that people are actually talking about the Miss Universe pageant. A sampling:
  • Pageant truthers: It didn't take long for the conspiracy theories to begin, notes the Washington Post . One tweet with a common
...

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