Last night was big for the USA as Olivia Culpo, Miss USA, went on to win the 2012 Miss Universe Pageant. She competed against 88 other women from various countries to win the coveted title. Leila Lopes of Angola passed the crown to Culpo last night. As the new Miss Universe, the beauty will be relinquishing her Miss USA title to the runner up, Miss Maryland Nana Meriwether.
When she was crowned Miss Universe, Culpo couldn’t believe her ears. “I’m dreaming, it’s a dream,” she said once her name was announced. One question that the musician beauty queen aced in order to win the pageant came from Miss Universe 2010 Ximena Navarette. She asked, “What is something that you have done, that you will never do again?” While that question might have given some contestants cause for pause, Culpo remained poised in her answer, saying: “First I’d like to start off by saying that every experience, no matter what it is, good or bad, you’ll learn from it. That’s just life,” she said.
“But something I’ve done that I’ve probably regretted would be picking on my siblings growing up because you appreciate them so much more when you’re older, you get closer with your family. Everybody fights with their siblings, right?! But I don’t regret it.”
She answered that like a politician actually; first saying she did regret teasing her siblings, then recanting the statement. In any case, her answer was good enough to earn her the Miss Universe crown.
Her win last night was free from controversy, unlike her Miss USA win in June of this year. During that pageant, the Former Miss Pennsylvania, Sheena Monnin, resigned due to her suspicions that the pageant was rigged. Monnin claimed that she overheard another contestant talking about a pre-arranged list of pageant finalist. Apparently, her name wasn’t on it. Also, the former Miss Pennsylvania was upset that the pageant committee would change the rules to allow transgendered contestants compete.
We all know how fierce transgendered women can be, (remember Isis from America’s Next Top Model?) so maybe Sheena was just a bit intimidated by having to compete with them. In any event, her claim was so outrageous that the almighty Donald Trump, owner of the Miss USA pageant sued her…and won. For her reckless comments, Monnin was fined $5 million dollars. That’s a hefty price to pay for slander.
All’s well that ends well, however, and while it’s doubtful that Sheena Monnin will ever compete in a pageant again, Olivia Culpo can bask in her uncontroversial win as the reigning Miss Universe 2012. Great job!
