Miss Grand USA: Nigerian-American Beauty Queen Takes Over After Winner Loses Crown
Nigerian-American beauty queen Victoria Oluwakotanmi has taken over as Miss Grand USA 2026 after the title was withdrawn from the original winner, Mekayla Li, barely a week after she was crowned.
Oluwakotanmi, who finished as the first runner-up at the August 10 pageant, was named the new winner by the Miss Grand USA organisation following the termination of Li’s reign.
The organisation said Li had been released from the Miss Grand USA title and all duties attached to it after she was found to have violated its contractual policies.
Her removal followed revelations about a previous marriage and an alleged hit-and-run case dating back to 2024.
Li, 27, had been preparing to represent the United States at the Miss Grand International competition in India later this year before her reign was abruptly brought to an end.
Court records show that she was married to Danny Ray Bedwell from August 2018 to December 2019.
The marriage appears to conflict with Miss Grand International’s eligibility rules, which state that contestants cannot be, or have been, married or pregnant.
The pageant’s rules also require contestants to have a clean personal record with no criminal history.
Li is facing two felony charges linked to an alleged hit-and-run in Los Angeles in November 2024.
She was arrested on November 24, 2024, and pleaded not guilty to allegations that she caused both non-serious and permanent serious injuries.
A civil lawsuit filed by Anna Mercedes Aoun alleges that Li and a man identified as Michael Scobey swerved into oncoming traffic on Sunset Boulevard before colliding with Aoun’s vehicle.
Aoun claims she suffered catastrophic injuries, including permanent disability, and lost future income.
She also alleges that the pair failed to contact emergency services after the crash and left the scene in a rideshare vehicle.
Following Li’s removal, Oluwakotanmi has now assumed the responsibilities of Miss Grand USA 2026 and will represent the United States at the international pageant.
Announcing her appointment, the Miss Grand USA organisation said Victoria would “carry the crown” and begin a new chapter with the organisation.
The pageant body also urged members of the public to exercise restraint amid the controversy, calling against bullying, harassment, defamation and personal attacks.
Oluwakotanmi has previously competed in beauty pageants, having been named Miss Black San Antonio in 2020 and competed in the Miss Texas USA pageant in 2023.
She now steps onto the international stage as Miss Grand USA 2026 after an unexpected change at the top of the pageant.
