Kenya Moore Returns to Miss USA Stage as 75th Anniversary Co-Host
The former Miss USA 1993 and RHOA alum returns to the pageant world for the 75th Diamond Celebration live from Miami on The CW.
ByBernadette Giacomazzo
August 12, 2026
Key Takeaways
- Kenya Moore is returning to the Miss USA stage as co-host of the 75th Diamond Celebration on August 27 on The CW, sharing duties with actor Ian Ziering at Miami’s Adrienne Arsht Center.
- The former Miss USA 1993—and the second Black woman to win the title—was first teased as a mystery ex-winner turned reality star before the pageant officially confirmed her as host on Instagram.
- Moore’s hosting gig follows her exit from The Real Housewives of Atlanta, where she was suspended during Season 16 after a confrontation with Brit Eady and later said she is not returning for Season 17.
Kenya Moore is officially heading back to the Miss USA stage more than three decades after winning the crown.
The Real Housewives of Atlanta alum has been confirmed as a co-host of the Miss USA 75th Diamond Celebration, airing live Thursday, Aug. 27 at 8 p.m. ET on The CW. Moore will share hosting duties with Beverly Hills, 90210 and Sharknado star Ian Ziering for the two-hour event at Miami’s Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts.
Miss USA announced the pair on Instagram after initially teasing Moore’s involvement without naming her. “You guessed right! Meet the hosts of the historic 75th Diamond Celebration of MISS USA, @kenya and @ianziering!” the organization wrote in its follow-up post. “The countdown to Miami is officially ON, and we can’t wait to celebrate 75 years of Miss USA with you.”
The confirmation clears up earlier reports that Moore was merely being eyed for the job. Miss USA had first posted a Reel describing a mystery co-host as a former winner who parlayed her crown into a lengthy reality television career. “Now she’s coming back to the Miss USA stage to co-host the 75th Diamond Celebration,” the organization teased. The clues quickly pointed to Moore before Miss USA made her participation official.
For Moore, the gig brings her back to where her national profile began. Representing Michigan, Moore won Miss USA in 1993 at age 22, becoming the second Black woman to capture the title following Carole Gist’s victory in 1990. Moore subsequently represented the United States at the 1993 Miss Universe competition in Mexico, where she advanced to the Top 6.
Moore later moved into acting and television, appearing in projects including Waiting to Exhale before joining The Real Housewives of Atlanta in Season 5.
She became a fixture on RHOA across multiple stints, but her most recent return ended during Season 16. Bravo suspended Moore from filming following an incident involving cast member Brit Eady at the opening of Moore’s hair spa. Moore ultimately did not resume filming and later apologized publicly for her role in the confrontation.
She also confirmed she won’t be part of RHOA Season 17. During a livestream, Moore answered “As of now, no” when asked about returning to the Real Housewives franchise.
