Justus Kelley Becomes First Mother, Married Woman to Win Miss USA

Justus Kelley made history on Aug. 27, becoming the first mother and the first married woman to be crowned Miss USA. The 31-year-old, who held the title of Miss Virginia USA 2026, succeeded Audrey Eckert, 24.

The Miss USA pageant began allowing married women and mothers to compete in 2023, a change that paved the way for Kelley's historic win.

Kelley described her pageant preparation as unconventional, fitting it around her responsibilities as a mother. "My pageant prep, it did look different," Kelley told Fox News Digital. "I’m not going to pretend like I was able to dedicate the same amount of time as what I did in the past. I had to get creative. Their nap time was my prep time. It was late nights. It was after the bath and bed routine. I did walking classes with my baby on my chest, in his carrier. I did squats in my living room while holding my two-year-old. I practiced interview questions while feeding my toddler."

She explained that her workouts often involved bodyweight exercises performed at home. "I love abductor and adductor exercises, something that I usually do on a machine at the gym," she said. "But if I can’t make it to the gym, I’m just lying on the floor, elevating my leg and mirroring what I would’ve done on that machine." Kelley also focused intensely on core exercises, incorporating crunches during movie watching.

The 75th edition of the Miss USA pageant was held in Miami. The competition, which began in 1952 with New York's Jackie Loughery as its first winner, is distinct from the Miss America pageant, which dates back to 1921.

Kelley is the first married mother to hold the Miss USA title. Historically, a similar situation occurred in 1957 when Mary Leona Gage was crowned Miss USA but was later stripped of her title upon discovery that she was married and a mother.

Kelley emphasized the support of her family, including her husband of nine years. "He is so over the moon," Kelley said of her husband, who has been with her throughout her decade-long pageant journey. "I did not get here alone. He’s been a huge supporter."

The prize package for Miss USA 2026 is valued at over $685,000, including a $150,000 salary, a Range Rover, a year's lease on a luxury Miami apartment, a Westgate Vacation Home Club membership, and a $30,000 Miss Universe wardrobe.

Kelley hopes her reign will challenge the notion that women must choose between their families, careers, and personal aspirations. "You don’t have to choose one part of who you are," Kelley stated. "You can be all of who you are. That, to me, is the message. We can embrace every part of who we are. It doesn’t take away from the other."

She views her victory as a representation for women who are balancing family life with their ambitions. "My first thought was how amazing it is to get to do this and to represent women from all over the country, from all over the world that resonate with, ‘Hey, we’re still dreaming,'" she said. "We’re raising our families, but we still have dreams. We still have things that we want to go after and pursue."