As executive producer of the Miss Universe beauty pageant, Donald Trump made it his mission to publicly shame Alicia Machado, a Venezuelan national who won the 1996 Miss Universe competition, for her weight. In an exclusive interview with the Spanish-language channel Telemundo, Machado explained that she had a preexisting contract with Miss Universe before Trump purchased the Miss Universe Organization in 1996.
Miss Iraq's selfie with Miss Israel caused a mess for her back home.
Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters explains why she thinks beauty pageants are platforms for meaningful change. "This is a very big honor, but it's an even bigger responsibility."
Model Ashley Graham hosted Miss Universe on Sunday night — and she made a statement by doing so.
Davina Bennett, the second runner-up for Miss Universe, not only showed off her crowning Afro glory, but did so with grace, intelligence, and confidence — and people are beyond here for it.
A woman with Down’s syndrome has become the first person with the disability to compete in a Miss USA state pageant. Mikayla Holmgren took part in the Miss Minnesota over the weekend. The 22-year-old has previously competed in junior pageants and was crowned Miss Minnesota Junior Miss Amazing in 2015.
Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters Crowned Miss Universe
The current Miss Universe Israel Adar Gandelsman and Miss Universe Iraq Sarah Idan took selfies together and shared them with thousands of followers.
Former beauty queen Alicia Machado is confronting body shamers who claim she’s “chubby” and “overweight.”
Although Miss Bulgaria 2016, Violina Ancheva, didn’t take home the crown at the 65th Miss Universe pageant Sunday night, she still managed to make headlines around the globe — for a very different and inspiring reason.
The Miss Universe pageant always gives us a lot to talk about, and one of our favorite parts of the competition has to be the national costume segment. The ladies go all out to rep their respective countries, with all the sparkle, drama, opulence, and sometimes whimsy they can put into one look.
Alicia Ayliès, the newly crowned Miss France 2017, was handed the title last weekend by the reigning pageant queen, Iris Mittenaere, in the city of Montpellier in the south of France. The 18-year-old native of French Guiana often sports her naturally curly hair, in a nod to her Afro-Caribbean roots, but a new photo is turning heads, because it appears that her hair and skin were retouched to conform with European beauty standards.
Halima Aden first came to the United States when she was 7, after her family left the refugee camp in Kenya where Aden was born. Since settling into Minnesota’s growing Somali community — according to census data, the largest such community in the U.S. — Aden has thrived and is currently attending Saint Cloud University. But the 19-year-old’s current claim to fame is the fact that she’ll be competing in the Miss Minnesota beauty pageant this weekend (Nov. 26–27) in a hijab, burkini, and other fully covering garb — a first for the state.
Hilary Duff might have taken a stab at Tinder, but that doesn’t mean Olivia Jordan will. “Oh gosh no! Crown and Tinder do not mix,” the 2015 Miss USA winner tells Yahoo Style’s Joe Zee in this episode of Style Session. Instead, the beauty queen has her eye on a very different prize: the upcoming Miss Universe pageant. I do my dishes in it, I sleep with it,” Jordan, 26, jokes of her diamond, sapphire, and ruby-encrusted tiara, her prized possession.
Alyssa Campanella was all smiles and tears upon being crowned. Photo: Miss Universe Organization With the Miss Universe pageant this Sunday, we’re going to be glued to our TVs taking in all of the excitement. Related: #TBT The First Miss Universe Pageant On Hair & Makeup: Alyssa Campanella, Miss USA 2011 “At Miss Universe 2011, Miss Venezuela always had perfect curls everyday. My face couldn’t even hit the pillow! I gave up and just stuck to using a curling iron every morning.” Kamie Crawford, Miss Teen USA 2010 “Preparation H—that is the best trick in the book.
Photo: George Silk/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images In 1952 the first Miss Universe pageant was held in Long Beach, California. A total of 30 contestants competed in the pageant, which was started by California clothing company Pacific Mills. At the time, the pageant was combined with Miss USA, which means Miss Utah and Miss Hong Kong were sharing a stage. Photo: George Silk/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images The 1952 title went to 17-year-old Armi Kuusela of Finland and Miss Congeniality was a tie between Myriam Lynn of Belgium and Valerie Johnson of Montana.