Who is Audrey Eckert? All about Miss USA 2025 title winner

Audrey Eckert of Nebraska has been crowned Miss USA 2025, marking a major milestone in her pageant career. The event happened on Friday, October 24, in Reno, Nevada. Since the outgoing titleholder, Alma Cooper, wasn’t there, Miss Universe 2024, Victoria Kjær Theilvig, placed the crown on Eckert’s head.

Eckert’s win marks a fresh start both for her and for the Miss USA organization, which made many internal changes over the last year.

She caught everyone’s attention with her grace and poise, standing out among contestants from across the country to earn the crown. Ivy Harrington from New Jersey was announced as the first runner-up.

The ceremony grabbed attention not just because a new winner was crowned but also due to Cooper's absence.

Cooper posted on Instagram just hours before the show, saying she wouldn’t be there to pass the crown to her successor.

"After much consideration, I’ve made the extremely difficult decision not to attend this year’s Miss USA pageant and crowning ceremony to instead stand in honor of my values, work, and resolve," Cooper 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."

Audrey Eckert crowned Miss USA 2025 amid organizational shakeup

Eckert’s crowning happened during a big shift in the Miss USA organization. Leadership changes and controversies had shaped the past year.

The pageant now runs under Thom Brodeur, who stepped into the roles of chairman, president, and CEO in September 2025 after the Miss Universe Organization replaced Laylah Rose as president.

Brodeur had earlier shared his intention to overhaul contestant contracts. He wanted titleholders to have more freedom.

"There was some pretty egregious NDA language that suppressed the voices of those two young women and did not give them the ability to speak about their journey. I want to remove that restriction," Brodeur said last month. "I think if you have nothing to hide, there's no reason to hide."

The organization saw a major leadership change after a year filled with resignations and claims of mismanagement. In 2024, Miss USA winner Noelia Voigt and Miss Teen USA winner UmaSofia Srivastava both stepped down.

They explained their choice was because of concerns about mental health and the organization’s principles. These departures brought a lot of attention to how the pageant was being run.

After Voigt left, Alma Cooper took over as Miss USA 2024 and completed her time as the titleholder before deciding to move on.

Even though she chose not to attend this year’s crowning event, she shared a statement of gratitude for her experience holding the title.

Eckert’s victory brings a fresh start to the Miss USA brand as it works to reshape its image under a new team.

The Miss Universe Group, which owns the organization, is still dealing with lawsuits involving ex-CEO Laylah Rose and her firm VVV Global Ent. over claims of unpaid wages and rewards.

Even with these issues in the background, the 2025 Miss USA pageant wrapped up with Eckert claiming the crown.