A former Miss USA contestant says she felt 'robbed' after a leaked Miss Universe video raised doubts about who could win

Stephanie Sullivan appears in TLC's "Crown of Deceit: Inside the Miss Universe Scandal." Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images/TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images Miss Universe is back in the spotlight.No, not a specific contestant, and no, not the competition taking place in Puerto Rico on November 24.The Miss Universe Organization itself is under scrutiny again in the three-part TLC docuseries "Crown of Deceit: Inside the Miss Universe Scandal," which premiered on Thursday.The series — featuring Business Insider's pageant reporter, Anneta Konstantinides — covered the controversies that have plagued Miss Universe in recent years, from leadership changes to rigging allegations.It also revisited a leaked 2023 video of former Miss Universe CEO Anne Jakrajutatip saying that diverse contestants "can compete, but they can't win," and how her comments affected pageant queens like Stephanie Sullivan, who made history as the first married woman and mother to win Miss Indiana.Jakrajutatip and representatives for Miss Universe did not respond to requests for comment.The leaked videoIn 2023 and 2024, Miss Universe eliminated some restrictions that had previously excluded women from its pageants, including Miss USA. Married women and mothers could compete for the first time in 2023. The next year, any woman over 18 was allowed to enter. Previously, only women between 18 and 28 were eligible.The changes felt like a step in the right direction under then-CEO Jakrajutatip, who made history as the first woman to own Miss Universe after purchasing it in October 2022. She was replaced in October 2025 by Mario Búcaro, who had previously served as the organization's vice president for international relations, though he resigned as CEO in December 2025. Former Miss Universe CEO Anne Jakrajutatip. Josh Brasted/Getty Images When Jakrajutatip stepped into the CEO role in 2022, she said she wanted to help the pageant "evolve." "We seek not only to continue its legacy of providing a platform to passionate individuals from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and traditions, but also to evolve the brand for the next generation," she said in a statement.Speaking at Miss Universe in January 2023, Jakrajutatip said that the pageant would be "run by women, owned by a trans woman, for all women around the world" moving forward.Jakrajutatip's tune seemed to change in the leaked video, which showed an October 2023 meeting between her and other Miss Universe executives. In the video, which Business Insider obtained in 2024, Jakrajutatip said that diverse contestants "can compete, but they can't win," adding that it was a "communication strategy."Jakrajutatip said on her Facebook page in February 2024 that she was referring to a Miss Universe reality show, not the pageant. Former Miss Universe CEO Anne Jakrajutatip. TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images The leaked video "sent shockwaves throughout the pageant community," Konstantinides said in "Crown of Deceit.""She tells her staff it's a communication strategy," Konstantinides added. "And now it just kind of feels like, is it a big sham?"An interview with Stephanie Sullivan, the first married mother to win the Miss Indiana title, spotlighted how the video affected some pageant hopefuls at the time.Sullivan did not respond to a request for comment.Stephanie Sullivan speaks outIn the doc, Sullivan said she wanted to "make a difference" and "give people hope" by being crowned Miss Indiana USA 2024 as a then-33-year-old married woman and mother. Stephanie Sullivan competed in Miss USA in 2024. Courtesy of Miss USA However, the leaked video, which she saw before competing in Miss USA 2024, changed her perspective."I realized this organization is not what I thought it was going to be," she said about Miss Universe.Sullivan said the video made her question why she didn't place at Miss USA, particularly because winners from that pageant go on to compete at Miss Universe. No woman over 28 made it to the top 20, despite the age limit being lifted for the 2024 pageant."Did I not place at Miss USA because they knew that I had no chance?" Sullivan said. "It was like a punch to my gut because you made us think that we could. I just went to a very dark place after that.""It broke me," Sullivan added before breaking down in tears. Stephanie Sullivan in "Crown of Deceit: Inside the Miss Universe Scandal." Courtesy of TLC She also said that she felt like she had "let everybody down" when she didn't win, especially given how expensive it was to compete. She estimated she spent close to $100,000 to reach the Miss USA stage, totaling up everything from her state competition expenses to Miss USA travel."The fact of the matter is that we were all robbed," Sullivan said, adding that the Miss Universe Organization "really did hurt a lot of people."Since Sullivan competed — and Thom Brodeur took over as Miss USA CEO in 2025 — more older contestants, married women, and mothers have gone further in the competition.In 2025, the top 20 at Miss USA included married women and mothers over the age of 28 for the first time. This year, a mother finally took the Miss USA crown. Justus Kelley, a foster mom of two, will represent the US at Miss Universe on November 24.Miss Universe has also seen more older women and women with children compete, though none have won the crown yet. In 2024, Miss Malta Beatrice Njoya became the oldest woman to compete in the pageant at 40, and Miss Bonaire Nicole Peiliker-Visser topped that in 2025 by competing at 42.Kelley won't be the only mother competing at Miss Universe in 2026. Miss Mayotte Maeva Toumbou Dani and Miss Guinea Justine Kamara are mothers as well, according to a video posted by Miss USA. Read next Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Samantha Grindell Pettyjohn is a Senior Lifestyle Reporter at Business Insider with more than eight years of experience in the lifestyle space.At Business Insider, Samantha's coverage focuses on unique living situations, interior design, celebrity style, and books. Her work includes features on multigenerational living and one-of-a-kind houses, timely articles on celebrity fashion, live coverage of award shows and pageants, and fun pieces about popular book series. Samantha also loves reporting on celebrities on her beats, from HGTV stars Christina Haack and Tarek El Moussa to authors such as Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros.Samantha appeared on Scripps News and CBS in 2022 to discuss the royal family, and in 2023, she won an Anthem Award for her work on Business Insider's package "Better Me."Samantha received her B.A. in English from Birmingham-Southern College in 2017, graduating Summa Cum Laude. She later earned her M.S. in Publishing from New York University in 2019. Samantha was previously a staff writer at Romper, and her writing has appeared in Cosmopolitan, Mic, and Oprah.com. Today, Samantha lives in Atlanta with her husband and dog.Email her at sgrindell@businessinsider.com and follow her on X. Lifestyle