MISS USA 2012 WINNER: OLIVIA CULPO FROM RHODE ISLAND WINS MISS USA 2012

Olivia Culpo, a 19 year-old from Cranson, Rhode Island and a sophomore at Boston University , won the Miss USA crown on Sunday night.

Culpo topped a field of 51 beauty queens to take the title at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

Miss Maryland Nana Meriwether was the first runner-up. Miss Ohio Audrey Bolte placed second, Miss Nevada Jade Kelsall placed third, and Miss Georgia Jazz Wilkins placed fourth.

Culpo was the one who answered a question from a fan through Twitter which was implemented for the first time by the Miss USA organization. The question was, if it’s fair if a transgender wins Miss USA.

Question: “Would you feel it would be fair that a transgender woman wins the Miss USA title over a natural-born woman?”

“I do think that that would be fair, but I can understand that people would be a little apprehensive to take that road because there is a tradition of natural-born women, but today where there are so many surgeries and so many people out there who have a need to change for a happier life, I do accept that because I believe it’s a free country,” Culpo said.


Culpo replaces Miss USA 2011 Alyssa Campanella. She will represent the nation in this year’s Miss Universe pageant in December 2012. Leila Lopes from Angola will crown her successor at the end of the event.