Miss USA 2026 Justus Kelley traveled to Puerto Rico for the 75th Miss Universe competition wearing a striking sartorial tribute to a historical figure according to Fox News.
The 31-year-old Virginia native stepped out in a custom black-and-white TTON Couture coat featuring the printed image of Mary Leona Gage, the 1957 titleholder who lost her crown nearly seven decades earlier reported Yahoo. The statement outerwear was worn over a white pantsuit complete with a sheer corset top, a matching bra, a Miss Universe USA sash, and a newspaper-print saddle bag designed by Christian Dior.
Kelley made history on August 27, 2026, when she was crowned at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, Florida noted AOL. She succeeded Audrey Eckert to become the first married woman, first mother, first foster mother, and oldest winner in the national pageant’s history stated Yahoo.
Her groundbreaking victory follows sweeping updates made to the organization in 2023, which eliminated the upper age cap and permitted married women and mothers to enter the competition reported Khaleej Times.
“I wanted my departure look to tell a story that means so much to me,” Kelley said in an Instagram post captured by The Daily Beast. “Today, I get to stand on a stage that once would not have welcomed a woman like me in the same way. I am a wife, a mother, and I am Miss USA.”
The 1957 Scandal That Shocked Pageant Officials
Mary Leona Gage earned national attention in July 1957 when she won Miss Maryland, the first contestant from that state to win the crown, according to AOL. However, her reign collapsed swiftly after pageant organizers discovered she had concealed a husband and two children according to Khaleej Times.
Gage had married at the age of 14, welcomed her first child later that same year, and gave birth to her second child at 16 reported AOL. In addition to hiding her family, she misled administrators about her age, claiming to be 21 when she was actually 18 stated Khaleej Times.
Following an official investigation, pageant authorities disqualified Gage, stripped her of her title, and passed the crown to runner-up Charlotte Sheffield of Utah noted AOL. Because Gage had already advanced as one of the top 15 semifinalists in the international event, Sheffield was barred from taking her place in the Miss Universe contest reported AOL.
Gage subsequently returned to California to appear on an NBC television show and later secured an engagement at the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas according to Fox News.
Reflecting on her predecessor’s turbulent era, Kelley noted the stark contrast between past restrictions and modern opportunities reported Fox News. “She was a woman who, in many ways, wasn’t allowed to be fully herself or embrace all that she was,” Kelley said according to Fox News. “Her title was ultimately taken away because society wasn’t ready to accept who she was as a wife and mother of two.”
Kelley Balances Philanthropy and Foster Parenting with Pageant Duties
Outside of her pageant duties, Kelley operates as a philanthropist and founder of the Foster Footprints nonprofit organization stated Yahoo. She and her husband, Tyler, whom she married in 2017, have served as licensed foster parents in Virginia for nearly two years reported Fox News.
Kelley initially considered stepping away from her competitive ambitions after accepting a foster care placement earlier in the year, but ultimately chose to proceed with family encouragement according to Khaleej Times.
“To every woman who has ever felt she had to choose between her family and her dreams: you don’t,” Kelley said reported Yahoo.
