Miss Grand USA has officially announced the termination of Mekayla Li’s reign, ending her time as the national titleholder just days after her victory.
The pageant organization shared the news in an official statement posted on Instagram on Wednesday.
Miss Grand USA said Li was released from the title and all duties connected to it, but the organization did not publicly explain which specific issue led to the decision.
“Miss Grand USA announces the termination of Mekayla Li’s reign and her release from the Miss Grand USA Title and all associated duties,” the organization wrote.
“This decision was made in accordance with contractual policies outlined by the Miss Grand USA organization.”
The statement also called for respect as the pageant moves through the change.
“We ask that all dialogue surrounding this transition remain respectful. Miss Grand USA stands firmly against bullying, harassment, defamation, degrading remarks and personal attacks of any kind.”
View this post on InstagramLi had been crowned Miss Grand USA only about a week earlier. The Massachusetts representative won the national competition in Las Vegas on Aug. 10, while other accounts listed her crowning date as Aug. 12.
Miss Grand USA did not name Li’s successor in its statement. The first runner-up is Miss Grand Indiana, Victoria Oluwakotanmi, but the organization has not officially announced who will take over the title.
The sudden termination came shortly after Li celebrated her win on social media.
One day before Miss Grand USA announced the end of her reign, Li reflected on her experience and described the victory as “surreal” and an “unforgettable night.”
View this post on Instagram“A week into this reign, and I’m still taking it all in. But now, the dreaming becomes doing,” she wrote. “The crown is on, the lights are waiting, and I’m ready to make this year count and see just how grand this journey can be.”
After winning the national title, Li also spoke about her plans to represent the United States at Miss Grand International in India. In an interview with Edgar Entertainment, she said, “I feel so excited but I’m also already thinking about the journey ahead,” adding that she hoped to take the international stage in “full force.”
View this post on InstagramReports said Li was scheduled to compete at Miss Grand International on Oct. 10 in India.
However, the title termination changed those plans. As of the latest reports, Miss Grand USA has not publicly confirmed who will represent the country at the international competition.
Li, her attorney and Miss Grand USA had not publicly provided further details about the reason for the decision at the time of the reports.
Although Miss Grand USA did not state why Li’s reign was terminated, reports have pointed to questions involving her ongoing legal case and her previous marriage.
According to court records reviewed by People, Li is facing two felony hit-and-run charges connected to an alleged incident in November 2024. One charge involves causing non-serious injury, while the other involves causing permanent serious injury.
Li was arrested on Nov. 24, 2024, according to the reports. She pleaded not guilty to both charges at her arraignment on March 19.
Li is also named as a defendant, along with Michael Scobey, in a civil complaint seeking damages related to allegations of negligence, hit-and-run, intoxicated driving and reckless driving.
The complaint alleges that a vehicle carrying Li and Scobey swerved into oncoming traffic on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles and collided with another vehicle. Plaintiff Anna Mercedes Aoun claimed that she suffered “catastrophic injuries,” including “some permanent disability” and a loss of “future income.”
The complaint also alleges that neither defendant called emergency services after the crash and that they “fled the scene” in a rideshare vehicle.
These allegations remain part of ongoing legal proceedings, and Li has pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges.
Another issue raised in reports involves Li’s marital history. Divorce records reportedly show that she was married from Aug. 9, 2018, until Dec. 31, 2019.
Miss Grand International’s eligibility criteria state that contestants “cannot be or have been married or pregnant.” Reports also noted that the pageant requires contestants to have a clean personal record with no criminal history or scandalous background.
However, Miss Grand USA itself did not publicly connect Li’s legal case or previous marriage to its decision to terminate her reign.
Before winning the national crown, Li was known as Miss Grand Massachusetts 2026 and Miss Asia USA 2025. According to her website, she was born to Chinese and South African parents and was raised “across three continents.”
For now, Miss Grand USA has confirmed only one thing: Mekayla Li’s reign has officially ended.
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