Justus Kelley Makes Miss USA History! Miss Virginia Becomes First Mother, First Married Woman & First Woman in Her 30s to Win the Crown

A new queen has officially been crowned — and she just rewrote Miss USA history. 👑

Miss Virginia Justus Kelley was crowned Miss USA 2026 Thursday night, August 27, during the pageant’s historic 75th anniversary celebration at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami. But Kelley’s victory represents much more than another crown.

At 31 years old, Kelley becomes the first mother, first married woman and first woman in her 30s to ever win Miss USA — a major milestone for a competition that only began allowing married women and mothers to compete following rule changes in 2023. 

Kelley is a foster mother of two siblings, nonprofit founder and children’s book author. She also serves as a global ambassador for St. Jude and founded Foster Footprints, an organization focused on creating support networks for foster youth and their families.  And her final answer on the Miss USA stage made her historic win even more meaningful.

When asked what she hoped her reign would say about women in America today, Kelley spoke about being 31, married to her college sweetheart and raising two foster children before making the larger point: women shouldn’t have to choose between their careers, their families and their biggest dreams.

That message ultimately became reality when Miss USA 2025 Audrey Eckert placed the crown on Kelley’s head. Kelley’s victory also brings the Miss USA crown back to Virginia for the first time since 1970. She emerged victorious from a field of 51 contestants representing all 50 states and Washington, D.C., with Miss Florida Aileen Cerchiara finishing as first runner-up. 

Now, Kelley will take her historic reign to the international stage when she represents the United States at Miss Universe in Puerto Rico this November.

Seventy-five years of Miss USA — and the woman taking the crown in its milestone year represents a version of womanhood the competition once wouldn’t even allow on its stage.

The Prince Report