Justus Kelley has made history as the first Miss USA winner in her 30s who is also both married and a mother.
For nearly 75 years, Miss USA has reflected the changing face of American women, and this year, it looks like a history-making Black woman.
On Thursday, Aug. 27, during the 75th edition of the Miss USA pageant at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, co-hosted by “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star and former Miss USA winner Kenya Moore, 31-year-old Justus Kelley of Virginia took home the top honor, making history as the first winner in her 30s and the first to be both married and a mother.
When her name was called, Kelley, wearing a silver sequin gown with a high neck and mesh cutouts enveloped by a massive light pink feathered duster, dropped to the ground before rising back to her feet and being surrounded by her fellow contestants as she received her crown and bouquet.
Before she was named and crowned, the judges asked Kelley what she hoped her win would say about women in America today.
“I’m really glad you asked me that,” she began, microphone in hand. “We are here tonight celebrating the 75th anniversary of Miss USA, but we also have an opportunity to make history tonight.”
“I’m 31-years-old. I’m married to my college sweetheart of nine years, and we are proud foster parents of two adorable siblings that absolutely have my heart,” she continued. “What my year as Miss USA would mean and look like is no longer questioning if we have to choose between our ambitious careers, our families, and our wildest dreams. I’m standing on this stage, embracing every part of who I am.”
She added, “And I believe that I can be your next Miss USA.”
Kelley, an Arlington, Virginia-based philanthropist, foster mother, and founder of Foster Footprints, truly represents that kind of possibility. Beyond the history she has made, her groundbreaking win—arriving on the heels of a year that has seen record job loss for Black women—is a reminder to women that there is no single timeline or path to becoming who they want to be and that barriers that once stood in the way are falling.
Originally hailing from Indianapolis, Kelley earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Indiana University, where she studied community health and public health administration and met her husband, Tyler Kelley, in 2013. The college sweethearts, who have been together for 13 years and married for 9, discovered early in their relationship that they shared a desire to become foster parents one day.
Today, the couple are licensed foster parents in Virginia and have welcomed children ranging in age from 7 months to 10 years old into their home. They are currently fostering two siblings, a baby boy and his older sister.
The advocate currently works as a senior philanthropic adviser at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital after spending much of her career in philanthropy and with organizations serving children and families. She also founded Foster Footprints to support foster youth throughout the DMV and has used her platform as Miss Virginia USA to raise awareness about the hundreds of thousands of children in the foster care system nationwide.
In fact, when she arrived in Miami for Miss USA, some of her belongings arrived in black trash bags—bringing awareness to the reality that many children in foster care move between homes carrying their belongings in nothing more than trash bags at times.
“A trash bag should never be a child’s suitcase,” Kelley told People magazine.
A post shared by Justus Anye (@justuskells)
Her Miss USA win has also been roughly a decade in the making. The pageant queen began first began competing while attending Indiana University, where she was crowned Miss Indiana University, and continued competing over the years before finally earning the Miss Virginia USA crown in July and advancing to the national stage.
“Still, every day I keep thinking to myself: was that a dream? Was this real?” she said during an appearance on KEGT’s “Living Local DMV” show shortly after she won Miss Virginia USA. “For me, it just felt like ‘Wow, your dream just came true. I’m still at a loss for words.”
Just a few years ago, this wouldn’t have been possible for Kelley. Miss USA only began allowing married women and mothers to compete in 2023. The following year, the organization eliminated its longstanding upper age limit, opening the competition to women 29 and older for the first time. Kelley is the first winner to make history under both changes.
So at 31, she was able to arrive at Miss USA with a husband, children at home, an established career, and years already spent building a life beyond the pageant stage. And rather than any of those things closing the window on a dream she had been chasing for years, she finally won.
Before her big win, Kelley posted a tribute to herself and her journey on Instagram, accompanied by a lengthy caption.
“Babygirl, walk onto that stage like you were made for such a time as this, because you were,” she began. “Every little version of you who ever dreamed, hoped, prayed, and believed is cheering you on.”
She added, “Now go show her what she was always capable of.”
More About:Lifestyle
Weekly New Episodes
Stream Now
