Reigning Miss USA Alma Cooper Not Present To Crown New Miss USA

Twenty-three-year-old Audrey Eckert beat out 50 other contestants to win the new Miss USA crown. However, the crowning ceremony is coming with a big heap of controversy. The reigning Miss USA stunned the pageant world when she refused to attend this year's pageant. Typically the current Miss USA crowns the new Miss USA. The reigning Miss USA, Alma Cooper, wrote on Instagram that she "made the extremely difficult decision not to attend." The new Miss USA was crowned by Miss Universe.