Miss Grand USA Strips Mekyla Li After Hit-and-Run Charges

Mekyla Li held the Miss Grand USA crown for about a week before the organization took it back. On August 19, 2026, the pageant announced it was terminating her reign and releasing her from the title and all associated duties. The reason it gave was thin. The move was made in accordance with contractual policies outlined by the organization, and that was the extent of the explanation.

Li won the national title at the competition in Las Vegas and was crowned on August 12. She spent the days after posting about it, and a week in said she was "on cloud nine." Seven days later the organization pulled the plug.

What it would not do was name a reason. It pointed to no specific rule and no specific event. That left two problems sitting in plain view, both of which collide with the pageant's own eligibility rules.

Two Felony Hit-and-Run Charges

Li is facing two felony hit-and-run charges tied to a November 2024 crash in Los Angeles. Court records reviewed by People and The Epoch Times show one count accusing her of a hit-and-run that caused non-serious injury. The second count accuses her of a hit-and-run that caused permanent serious injury.

She was arrested on November 24, 2024, days after the crash. At an arraignment in March 2025, she pleaded not guilty to both counts.

The criminal case was still open when she competed for and won the national title months later. Li has not commented on the charges, and her attorney has not responded to requests for comment.

A Woman Says She Was Left in the Road

Beyond the criminal charges, Li is a defendant in a civil lawsuit over the same night. A woman says Li caused the crash, left her seriously injured, and then took off in a rideshare without calling 911.

The complaint seeks damages for negligence, hit-and-run, intoxicated driving, and reckless driving. A man named Michael Scobey is also named as a defendant in the filing.

The civil case and the criminal case are moving at the same time. Neither Li nor the pageant has publicly tied either one to the decision to strip her, though the timing lined up neatly with reporting on the crash. None of the allegations has been tested in court.

The Marriage Rule

The crash is not the only thing that clashes with the rulebook. Divorce records obtained by People show Li was married from August 2018 to December 2019. Miss Grand USA's published eligibility criteria for the international competition state that candidates must be single and cannot be or have been married or pregnant.

The pageant's website spells out the standard for a clean slate. Candidates must have a clean personal record with no criminal history, scandalous background, or participation in adult content or activities the organization deems inappropriate.

A pending felony case does not fit that language. A prior marriage runs into the marital rule. Online chatter during the selection process had already raised questions about undisclosed divorce proceedings, though those claims stayed in the category of allegation.

A Statement That Misspelled Her Name

The announcement went out on Instagram, and it got her name wrong. The official statement spelled it "Mekayla" rather than Mekyla. The wording asked that all dialogue surrounding the transition remain respectful.

The same statement said the organization stands firmly against bullying, harassment, defamation, degrading remarks, and personal attacks of any kind.

Its tone stayed measured throughout. The statement leaned on the phrase about contractual compliance and stayed away from spelling out any specific grounds. Reporters who reached out to Li's representatives and to the pageant did not get answers.

Who Mekyla Li Is

Li represented Massachusetts on her way to the national crown. She had already collected other sashes, including Miss Asia USA 2025 and Miss Grand Massachusetts 2026.

Her website describes her as a "psychology scholar" born to Chinese and South African parents and raised across three continents. Her bio says she is recognized for her work at the intersection of global identity, representation, and impact. She was set to represent the United States at Miss Grand International 2026.

The pageant's other requirements are specific. Competitors must be aged 21 to 35 on the date of the Miss Grand International final and must have been born female. Li met the surface criteria. The paperwork behind the scenes is where the trouble sat.

Her Own Posts Tell the Timeline

Li documented the win as it happened. The day after she took the title, she wrote, "Whatever comes after tonight, I will always carry this moment with me, not simply because I won, but because of the woman I became along the way."

On August 18, one day before she lost the crown, she posted, "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."

In an interview with Edgar Entertainment after her win, she said, "I feel so excited but I'm also already thinking about the journey ahead." She talked about taking the Miss Grand International stage in India this year in "full force." The organization ended those plans days later.

Who Gets the Crown Now

The first runner-up is Miss Grand Indiana. In most pageants, the runner-up steps up when a titleholder is removed, which would put her in line for the national sash.

The organization has not said publicly whether she or someone else will take over, and it has not confirmed who will represent the United States at Miss Grand International 2026 in India.

Li went from a fresh crown to no crown in a single week. The trophy photos are still online. The reign that was supposed to run a full year lasted seven days.