Miss USA 2024, Alma Cooper Refuses To Crown Successor, Drops Cryptic Message, 'Close This Chapter'

The latest edition of the prestigious beauty pageant, Miss USA, took place on Friday, October 24, 2025. The event featured gorgeous, confident models taking the runway and showcasing their ramp walk skills. However, beyond the glitz and glam of the event lay controversy and cryptic jibes. Miss USA 2024, Alma Cooper, pulled out of the pageant hours before the 2025 edition was to start. She dropped a cryptic message on her social media account, informing of her decision not to crown her successor, generating huge buzz online.

Alma Cooper detailed her journey to Miss USA 2024 and refused to attend the 2025 edition

Alma Cooper, the winner of the last edition of Miss USA, made the 'extremely difficult decision' not to attend Miss USA 2025. She revealed this in a lengthy Instagram post, detailing her journey and 'pursuit of excellence'. She mentioned her academic and professional achievements, including graduating from West Point in the top 50 of her class, running three marathons in 10 months, and becoming a Knight Hennessy Fellow at Stanford University. Fueled by the same 'relentless pursuit', she participated in Miss USA 2024. Alma Cooper wrote:

"I brought that same [relentless] 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. 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."

Why did Alma Cooper skip Miss USA 2025 with a cryptic message?

Outgoing Miss USA, Alma Cooper, continued the streak of controversies around the pageant by refusing to crown the next winner. She mentioned thinking it through carefully before deciding to skip the 2025 edition. While Alma did not publicly state her reasons for not attending, it's widely speculated that her decision is related to the series of scandals that involved the previous pageant leadership. The rumours were fuelled by Alma's cryptic message, which suggested she was set to 'close this chapter' of her life by maintaining her 'self-worth' and 'integrity', just as she did when she was crowned Miss USA in 2024. She wrote:

"After much consideration, I've made the extremely difficult decision not to attend this year's Miss USA pageant and crowning ceremony. 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."

In Alma Cooper's absence, Noelia Voigt, the winner of Miss USA 2023, returned to crown the new 2025 titleholder. Fans felt that the controversy around Alma Cooper's Miss USA prize money might have influenced her decision not to attend. For the unversed, just before the Miss USA 2025 pageant, it was reported that the parent organisation was suing the former CEO and her company, VVV Global, for failing to pay the 2024 winners' prize money. The lawsuit alleged that Alma was not paid the full USD 100,000 and that the Miss Teen USA 2024 winner, Addie Carver, was not provided the promised scholarship funds.

Additionally, in early 2024, several high-profile resignations occurred at Miss USA and Miss Teen USA, including the 2023 titleholders, citing toxic workplace conditions. It led to a change of leadership of the prestigious pageant. In September 2025, the Miss Universe organization replaced Laylah Rose with pageant judge, Thom Brodeur. The 2025 Miss USA pageant was the first under this new leadership.

What are your thoughts on Alma Cooper skipping the 2025 Miss USA pageant? Let us know.

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