Miss Rhode Island Olivia Culpo wins Miss USA title
(CBS/AP) LAS VEGAS - Updated 11:10 p.m. EDT
A 20-year-old cellist from Rhode Island won the Miss USA crown and will represent the United States in this year's Miss Universe pageant.
Olivia Culpo topped a field of 51 beauty queens on Sunday to take the title at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip. She strutted across the stage in a purple bikini and a purple evening gown with sparkly belt.
Pictures: Miss USA pageant 2012
Pictures: Miss USA 2012 contestants
She answered a question posed by judge Rob Kardashian about transgender contestants by saying it would be fair for a man who became a woman to be named Miss Universe. Her response was met with wild applause from the audience
The pageant had three competitions: swimsuit, evening gowns and interview question. Midway through the contest, pop band Cobra Starship performed as the beauty queens modeled their string bikinis.
Miss USA 2011 Alyssa Campanella from California crowned Culpo her successor at the end of the night.
The judges' panel includes chef Cat Cora, TV personality Arsenio Hall, singer Joe Jonas and reality TV star Kardashian. The show also featured performances from Akon and Cobra Starship. Andy Cohen and Giuliana Rancic were the hosts.
The pageant had three competitions: swimsuit, evening gown and interview question. Contestants from 50 states and the District of Columbia were whittled to 15 after the show's opening number, based on competitions and interviews during the week before the telecast.
Culpo will represent the United States at the 61st Miss Universe pageant. An American has not been named Miss Universe since Brook Lee won the title in 1997.
The Miss Universe Organization is co-owned by NBC and Donald Trump. The competition is not affiliated with the Miss America pageant.
