History was created last week in US when Marissa Teijo from El Paso became the oldest contestant to compete in the Miss Texas USA pageant at the age of 71. Although Teijo did not win the crown, her participation marked a significant milestone for the pageant, held in Houston.
Aarieanna Ware, last year's Miss Dallas winner, was named Miss Texas USA on Saturday. Ware will go on to represent Texas in the Miss USA competition.
Teijo expressed her excitement about competing in an Instagram post, hoping to inspire women to believe in their beauty at any age. "I hope to inspire women to strive to be their best physical and mental self and believe there is beauty at any age," she wrote.
The Miss Universe organization recently updated its rules to be more inclusive, removing age limits for contestants over 18 and allowing women who are married, divorced, or pregnant to participate.
The Miss Universe organization has faced controversy recently. On May 6, the former Miss USA Noelia Voigt, resigned, citing a need to focus on her mental health. However, an obtained resignation letter revealed that Voigt accused the pageant's CEO, Laylah Rose, of creating a toxic work environment and failing to address a sexual harassment incident. Rose stated that she takes all allegations seriously and prioritizes the well-being of everyone associated with Miss USA.
Following Voigt's resignation, Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava and social media manager Claudia Michelle also stepped down. Savannah Gankiewicz of Hawaii was subsequently crowned the new Miss USA 2023 and will hold the title until a new winner is announced in August. Miss Teen USA runner-up Stephanie Skinner was offered the crown but declined to accept it.
