Miss America Cassie Donegan Responds to Pageant Makeup Criticism
Miss America 2026 Cassie Donegan knows true beauty is not skin-deep.
That’s why the 28-year-old is brushing off online criticism over her makeup at the latest national pageant, during which she represented New York.
“I’m just a normal person. No, I don’t want to hear people ever say anything negative, especially about my appearance,” she told People in an interview published Sept. 9. “But I also respect that the internet is a public space and that people have the right to their opinion to be able to share that, and no one’s going to be everyone’s favorite all of the time.”
Instead, Cassie is “just going to do my best to love everyone and care about everyone.”
“Because at the end of the day, if even just one person has felt touched in some way or seen or loved through me as Miss America, then I’ve done my job,” she continued. “And that’s the most important thing.”
Cassie, who moonlights as a singer and an actress, has also been tapping into her support system amid her newfound fame.
“Often you do have to just pick and choose what you allow yourself to digest,” she noted of online chatter. “That’s something that’s been a really useful tool, really leaning into those who are lifting me up, loving me and holding me high, and choosing to focus on the positivity that’s happening in the moment.”
TikTok/Miss America
And that includes her family.
“My family is my rock,” Cassie shared on her official website. “My pups are my joy.”
She added, “In short—I’m just a goofball who loves to laugh, loves fully and unconditionally, and is darn lucky that I get to play and tell stories for a living!”
To learn more about the Miss America pageant, including all rules for its winners and competitors, keep reading…
Miss America
1. Age isn’t just a number when it comes to the storied Miss America pageant, first launched as a type of swimsuit competition on New Jersey’s Atlantic City boardwalk back in 1921. Hopefuls for the 2026 event must be no older than 28 on Sept. 30, 2026, and no younger than 18 on Sept. 1, 2026, the day before the preliminary events kick off.
Tom Briglia/ WireImage
2. As for those that would be exactly 18 years old when they’d slip into their evening gowns and, ideally, that winning tiara, they enjoy what’s called a “pivot year” in which they decide if they’d rather compete in the Teen or the Miss division. (The age requirement for teens: They must be no younger than 14 on Sept. 1, 2026; no older than 18 on Sept. 30.)
However, once the teens have chosen their adventure, they cannot change divisions until the next application cycle.
Donald Kravitz/Getty Images
3. There’s a reason the words are, “There she is, Miss America!” Hopefuls cannot be married at the time of competition (though they can be divorced). They also must certify that they’re not pregnant and have no children.
Miss America Organization/Bruce V. Boyajian
4. As for all those state titleholders, they must stay in their lanes, so to speak. In order to compete for a state title, delegates must provide proof that they’ve lived in the state at least 120 consecutive days before they took the stage.
Other options: Proving that they’ve worked in the state a minimum of 40 hours a week for at least 120 days or are enrolled full-time at one of the state’s accredited colleges or universities.
ABC/Ida Mae Astute
5. They’ve got talent, yes they do. Because the contestant’s 90-second performance in the talent portion—singing, instrumental performances and dance are among the most popular, though Miss Vermont 2015 Alayna Westcom provided a chemistry lesson and that year’s winner Kira Kazantsev played the cups Pitch Perfect-style—counts for 20 percent of the scoring in each round.
Not a part of the tally: The swimsuit competition, which was washed away in 2018.
ABC/Ida Mae Astute
6. Contestants know how to keep score. In both the prelims and the final rounds, those coveting the crown are judged on their private interview (worth 30 percent of their total score), a fitness category (20 percent), the talent portion (another 20 percent), the evening wear portion (their 20 percent is tallied based on confidence and composure) and the stage question segment (worth 10 percent).
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