Crystle Stewart

Crystle Stewart Sebrechts (née Stewart; born September 20, 1981) is an American actress, television host, model and beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss USA 2008.

Crystle Danae Stewart was born September 20, 1981, in Houston, Texas, to Robert and Cynthia Franklin Stewart.

Stewart is the second African American to win the crown at Miss Texas USA; Chelsi Smith was crowned Miss Texas USA 1995 (and later Miss USA and Miss Universe).

Her first appearance in the state pageant was in 2002 when she made the semi-finals of the Miss Texas USA 2003 pageant competing as Miss Fort Bend County.

In 2004, Stewart again competed as Miss Fort Bend County and placed third runner-up to Tyler Willis at Miss Texas USA 2005.

The following year, she competed in the Miss Houston local pageant and placed first runner-up to Lauren Lanning.

This was Stewart's fifth attempt at the Miss Texas USA title; she had placed first runner-up in both the 2006 and 2007 events; third runner-up in 2005; and made the semi-finals in 2003.

She competed at Miss Texas USA 2006 as Miss Harris County, and placed first runner-up to Lanning for the second time.

In 2006, she placed first runner-up to Miss Houston for a second time and, in a double repetition, placed first runner-up to Miss Houston, Magen Ellis, in the 2007 state pageant (competing as Miss Southeast Texas).

Stewart won the Miss Texas USA 2008 title in a state pageant held in Laredo, Texas on July 1, 2007, after competing against 121 other contestants.

Stewart graduated from Elkins High School in Missouri City, and graduated from the University of Houston in 2007.

Additionally, Stewart graduated from Barbizon Modeling and Acting School in Houston.

In 2007, she did not compete for a local title, and instead entered as an at large delegate for Miss Texas USA 2008, again holding the Miss Fort Bend County title.

She made the final two in the state-televised pageant, alongside Miss Houston Brooke Daniels, who was also a runner-up at Miss Texas USA 2007.

Stewart became the second consecutive Miss USA, following Rachel Smith in 2007, to stumble and fall during the evening gown competition.

After that, she encouraged the audience to applaud by clapping her hands.

Unlike Smith, Stewart did not advance to the top five, finishing eighth overall.

She represented Texas in the Miss USA 2008 pageant held in April 2008.

This time Stewart won the title and was crowned Miss Texas USA 2008.

She also won the Everything but Water Swimsuit award, announced during the preliminary competition.

On April 11, 2008, Stewart represented Texas in the Miss USA 2008 pageant where she became the ninth Texan to win the Miss USA title.

Throughout her reign she served for various charities, conducted media interviews and made other public appearances.

On 26 April, she attended the White House Correspondents' Association dinner.

Stewart holds a degree in consumer science and merchandising from the University of Houston.

Stewart is represented as a model by Neal Hamil Agency in Houston.

On July 13, 2008, Stewart represented the US at the Miss Universe pageant Nha Trang, Vietnam, and advanced to the top 10.

Stewart hosted the Miss Teen USA 2009 competition on July 31, 2009, along with Seth Goldman.

On July 24, 2010, Goldman and Stewart once again hosted the Miss Teen USA pageant.

Stewart's acting career began in 2011, when she played real estate agent Leslie Morris on the OWN/TBS comedy-drama television series For Better or Worse until 2017.

She married Belgian model Max Sebrechts in August 2014.

They have two children.

Stewart also co-hosted multiple Miss Texas USA pageants including some with her Belgian-born husband, model Max Sebrechts (married August 9, 2014), and she also co-hosted with Jason Feinberg.

Stewart served as a finals judge at the Miss USA 2016 pageant on June 5, 2016, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Shortly after, she appeared in the 2018 film Acrimony.

From 2020 to 2023, Stewart was the national director of Miss USA and Miss Teen USA.

She was suspended from the position following allegations of favoritism, rigging the results at Miss USA 2022, and sexual harassment at Miss USA 2021.

She officially stepped down in August 2023.

In 2020, Stewart became the national director of Miss USA and Miss Teen USA, splitting the pageants into a new independent organization away from the Miss Universe Organization.

In October 2022, Stewart and her company Miss Brand Corporation were suspended from their roles in organizing pageants after numerous allegations of favoritism, results rigging, and sexual harassment were leveled by former contestants.

She officially stepped down from the position in August 2023.