Pageant Organisation Names First Runner-Up as Replacement
Miss Grand USA has terminated the reign of Mekyla Li just one week after she was crowned, citing alleged violations of the pageant’s rules following revelations about a 2024 hit-and-run case and her previous marriage.
The organisation announced Thursday that Li, 27, had been released from the “Miss Grand USA Title and all associated duties,” bringing her brief reign to an abrupt end.
“This decision was made in accordance with contractual policies outlined by the Miss Grand USA organisation,” the organisation said in a statement posted on Instagram.
The announcement came after court records reportedly showed that Li is facing two felony charges in connection with an alleged hit-and-run in Los Angeles in November 2024.
Felony charges over alleged crash
Li was arrested on November 24, 2024, and pleaded not guilty to allegations that she caused non-serious injury and permanent serious injury.
According to a civil lawsuit reported by People, Li and a man identified as Michael Scobey allegedly swerved into oncoming traffic on Sunset Boulevard before colliding with a vehicle driven by Anna Mercedes Aoun.
Aoun alleged that the crash left her with “catastrophic injuries,” including “some permanent disability,” and resulted in the loss of future income.
She further alleged that Li and Scobey did not call emergency services after the collision but instead “fled the scene” in a rideshare vehicle.
Aoun is seeking compensation for medical expenses, property damage, lost earnings and other costs. She has also requested a jury trial.
The allegations have not been established as facts in court, and Li has pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges.
Previous marriage raises pageant eligibility questions
Li’s past marriage also appears to conflict with the eligibility requirements governing contestants in the Miss Grand International pageant.
Records reportedly show that Li was married to Danny Ray Bedwell from August 9, 2018, until December 31, 2019.
The pageant’s rules stipulate that contestants “cannot be or have been married or pregnant” and “must have a clean personal record with no criminal history.”
The revelations emerged shortly after Li secured the Miss Grand USA crown on August 10. Following her victory, she had been preparing to represent the United States at the Miss Grand International pageant in India later this year.
Her removal means that the opportunity will now pass to another contestant.
Li had built a growing pageant profile
Before winning Miss Grand USA 2026, Li had already established herself in the pageant circuit.
She was previously crowned Miss Grand Massachusetts 2026 and Miss Asia USA 2025.
According to her website, Li was born to Chinese and South African parents and was raised “across three continents,” a background that formed part of her public profile as a pageant contestant.
Her Miss Grand USA victory appeared to mark the biggest achievement of her pageant career before the organisation's decision to terminate her reign.
Victoria Oluwakotanmi takes over crown
Following Li’s removal, Miss Grand USA appointed first runner-up Victoria Oluwakotanmi as the new titleholder.
Oluwakotanmi, who represented Indiana, now assumes the responsibility of representing the United States in the Miss Grand International system.
She previously held the title of Miss Black San Antonio, which she won in March 2020, and later competed in the Miss Texas USA pageant in 2023.
“Victoria now steps forward to carry the crown, represent the United States, and begin an extraordinary new chapter with the Miss Grand USA organization,” the pageant said.
The swift change in leadership has turned what was expected to be the beginning of Li’s international pageant journey into a controversy surrounding eligibility, contractual obligations and unresolved legal allegations.
For now, the criminal case and civil claims connected to the 2024 collision remain separate from the pageant organisation’s decision to end Li’s reign.