First-Mom Miss USA Breaks Ground in Pageant History
TL;DR
Justus Kelley, 31, Miss Virginia, and a philanthropic adviser at St. Jude who fosters children with her husband, captured Miss USA, making history as the pageant’s first mother and first contestant over 30 to win in 75 years. The milestone follows changes lifting the age cap for contestants; Kelley will compete in Miss Universe in San Juan, Puerto Rico, this November. She and her husband have been fostering children ranging from 7 months to 10 years, and are currently caring for a baby boy and his sister.
- Miss USA Crowned a Mother for the First Time The Cut
- Miss Virginia wins Miss USA 2026, becoming the first mother to take the crown Business Insider
- Miss USA 2026 is the first mother to win the pageant KXAN Austin
- Miss USA 2026 winner Justus Kelley makes history as 1st mother, married woman to win pageant ABC7 Los Angeles
- Arlington’s Justus Kelley Makes History as First Mother Crowned Miss USA Northern Virginia Magazine
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