Alma Cooper is making a bold move. Just hours before the kickoff of the 2024 Miss USA beauty pageant on October 24, the crowned queen revealed that she would not be attending the final round or the crowning ceremony of the 2025 competition. "After much contemplation, I've made the incredibly difficult decision to skip this year's Miss USA pageant and crowning ceremony," Cooper shared on Instagram, accompanied by several photos of her adorned in her winner's sash. "As I close this chapter, I do so with the knowledge that I finished what I started with integrity and my self-worth held high, just like the crown I was honored to wear."
The 23-year-old explained that her decision to skip the finals, where the previous year's winner typically passes on their crown to the new pageant queen, was not taken lightly. "In every aspect of my life, I am always in pursuit of excellence," she said in her post. "That relentless pursuit fueled me to graduate from West Point top 50 in my class, run three marathons in 10 months, and become a Knight Hennessy Fellow at Stanford University."
As the former Miss Michigan who won Miss USA months after Noelia Voigt became the first queen in the pageant's 73-year history to give up her crown, Cooper attributed her success during the beauty contest to her work ethic. "I brought that same attitude with me when I won the title of Miss USA, energized by the opportunity to inspire youth across the globe at Miss Universe and within communities across the nation," Cooper continued. "I am a firm believer that excellence means nothing if it stops with me; instead, I want my growth to be something others can build on."
While the organization has yet to publicly address Cooper's announcement, Miss USA CEO and President Thom Brodeur previously spoke about her "participation in the 2025 pageant" before the October 22 preliminaries. He revealed that she had yet to confirm her attendance, writing on Instagram Stories at the time, "Our dream was to warmly welcome Alma to participate in the 2025 competition in whatever capacity she was most comfortable." Despite her initial lack of response, Brodeur—who took on his leadership role in September 2025, shortly after former CEO Laylah Rose stepped down over accusations of creating a toxic work environment—insisted that the invitation "still stands." (Rose denied all allegations in a statement to the Los Angeles Times.) "We honor you, Alma," Brodeur added. "You are a queen. You are our queen even if we didn't start this journey with you. And you are forever our Miss USA 2024."
