Miss USA 2024 Alma Cooper has made the surprising decision not to attend this year’s pageant—just hours before a new winner was set to be crowned.

The 23-year-old Stanford student and U.S. Army First Lieutenant announced her choice on Instagram on Friday (October 24), sharing that she will not be in Reno, Nevada for the Miss USA 2025 competition.

“After much consideration, I’ve made the extremely difficult decision not to attend this year’s Miss USA pageant and crowning ceremony,” she wrote. “As I close this chapter, I do so with the knowledge that I finished what I started with integrity and my self-worth held high, just like the crown I was honored to wear.”

In a longer statement shared with People , Alma reflected on becoming the first Afro-Latina woman to win Miss USA and ba

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