Miss USA Justus Kelley used her farewell outfit before leaving for Puerto Rico for the Miss Universe 2026 pageant’s official gathering as a tribute to Mary Leona Gage, who in 1957 was crowned Miss USA and then had the title taken away when it was discovered she was married and the mother of two children. Kelley, who represented the state of Virginia, is the first mother, married woman and woman over 28 to represent the United States in Miss Universe.
In her post she said Gage, who represented Maryland, had said she was 21 when she was 18, and had hidden that she married at 14 and had two children; she was disqualified and the title went to the first runner-up. Gage later became an actress and died on October 5, 2010, at 71. Kelley said nearly 70 years later she wears a design honoring Gage, with her photographs and the story she represents.
The Miss Universe organization dropped the rule requiring contestants to be single in 2023, allowing married, divorced and mothers to compete, and in 2024 removed the age limit of 28, opening competition to women 18 and older. The 75th Miss Universe contestants began their official gathering on November 8; the coronation gala will be held on Tuesday, November 24, at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in Puerto Rico.