Miss Grand USA Mekyla Li Stripped of Crown Amidst Past Marriage, Hit-and-Run Allegations

Mekyla Li, who recently clinched the Miss Grand USA title, has been divested of her crown just one week after her victory. This decision follows the emergence of details concerning an alleged hit-and-run incident in 2024 and a prior marriage. The organization behind Miss Grand USA announced that Li’s brief tenure was concluded, and she was relieved of her duties and the title due to breaches of the pageant’s regulations. Officials confirmed this action aligns with the contractual policies stipulated by the Miss Grand USA organization.

Court documents obtained by People on Thursday indicate that Li, aged 27, is currently facing two felony charges. These charges arise from a purported hit-and-run incident that occurred in Los Angeles in November 2024. Furthermore, records reveal that Li was married to Danny Ray Bedwell from August 9, 2018, until December 31, 2019. This marital history appears to contradict the eligibility criteria of Miss Grand International, which explicitly states that contestants “cannot be or have been married or pregnant” and must possess a “clean personal record with no criminal history.”

Li was taken into custody on November 24, 2024, and has entered a plea of not guilty to accusations of causing both a non-serious and a permanent serious injury. A civil lawsuit reported by the same outlet details allegations that Li and a man identified as Michael Scobey veered into opposing traffic on Sunset Boulevard, resulting in a collision with a vehicle driven by Anna Mercedes Aoun. Aoun claims she sustained “catastrophic injuries,” including “some permanent disability,” and a loss of prospective earnings. She further alleges that Li and Scobey failed to contact emergency services post-collision and instead “fled the scene” in a rideshare vehicle. Aoun is seeking a jury trial and damages for medical costs, property damage, lost income, and “various and sundry expenses.”

Born to Chinese and South African parents, Li was brought up across “three continents,” according to her personal website. Prior to her Miss Grand USA win, she held the titles of Miss Grand Massachusetts 2026 and Miss Asia USA 2025. After securing the Miss Grand USA title on August 10, Li expressed her excitement to Edgar Entertainment, stating she was already contemplating her preparations for the Miss Grand International pageant slated for India later in the year.

On Thursday, Miss Grand USA declared Miss Grand Indiana, Victoria Oluwakotanmi, who was the first runner-up, as Li’s successor. Oluwakotanmi previously earned the Miss Black San Antonio title in March 2020 and participated in the Miss Texas USA pageant in 2023. The pageant organization remarked, “Victoria now steps forward to carry the crown, represent the United States, and begin an extraordinary new chapter with the Miss Grand USA organization.”