There’s a particular thrill in watching someone win a crown they didn’t grow up chasing, and Elle Smith delivered exactly that: a local TV reporter in Louisville (The Courier Journal) who entered the Kentucky pageant system for the first time and became Miss USA 2021 at 23. This profile sorts the verified record of her rise from the details that remain genuinely unclear, including her relationship with England footballer Leah Williamson and the real state of her net worth.
Born: June 20, 1998 ·
Title: Miss USA 2021 ·
State represented: Kentucky ·
Height: 5’10” ·
Occupation: Model, actress
Quick snapshot
- Won Miss USA 2021 on November 29, 2021, in Tulsa, Oklahoma (The Courier Journal (Louisville daily newspaper))
- Was 23 years old when the national title was announced (AL.com (Alabama news outlet))
- Worked as an on-air reporter at WHAS-TV in Louisville (NPR (U.S. public broadcaster))
- Exact net worth figures are not publicly disclosed
- Precise start date of the relationship with Leah Williamson is unconfirmed
- Full ethnic background and family details are not documented
- Entered her first-ever pageant system as Miss Germantown USA and won Miss Kentucky USA in May 2021 (The Courier Journal (pageant recap))
- Served as vice president of the University of Kentucky chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists (National Newspaper Publishers Association (Black press trade group))
- Finished inside the Top 10 at Miss Universe 2021 (University of Kentucky (her alma mater))
- Reported acting credits include “Rick and Morty” and “Untamed,” though none are officially confirmed
- Modeling profiles list The Source Models in Miami as her agency
- Miss Universe ownership changes continue to reshape the circuit she competed in
Elle Smith: key facts
Nine facts make up the verified core of her story — and the pattern is that institutional sources, not social media, carry the weight.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Full name | Elle Smith |
| Birth date | June 20, 1998 |
| Birth place | Springfield, Ohio, U.S. (The Courier Journal) |
| Height | 5’10” |
| Miss USA win | 2021, representing Kentucky (University of Kentucky) |
| Miss Universe participation | 2021 (Top 10) |
| Partner | Leah Williamson (reported) |
| Net worth | Not publicly disclosed |
| Modeling agency | The Source Models (reported) |
Who is Elle Smith?
Elle Smith is an American journalist and beauty-pageant titleholder whose crown came after a career in local TV news, not after years on the junior circuit. Before she ever walked a state-pageant stage, she was a broadcast journalist in Louisville with a University of Kentucky degree already behind her.
Where is Elle Smith from?
- She grew up in Springfield, Ohio (The Courier Journal), then moved to Kentucky for university.
- She represented Kentucky at Miss USA 2021, which is why many assume she is a Kentucky native.
How old is Elle Smith?
- Born on June 20, 1998, she was 23 when NPR (U.S. public broadcaster) reported her Miss USA win.
- She graduated from the University of Kentucky in 2020 (University of Kentucky).
What is Elle Smith’s ethnicity?
- Public profiles describe her as mixed ethnicity, but specific family details are not documented in the sources reviewed here.
- In college, she served as vice president of the University of Kentucky chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists (National Newspaper Publishers Association).
The pattern: her public identity was built as a journalist first and pageant contestant second, which helps explain why the pageant establishment didn’t see her coming.
Was Elle Smith Miss USA?
Yes — and the win was as fast as it was unexpected.
Elle Smith’s Miss USA win
- She won the 70th Miss USA pageant on November 29, 2021, in Tulsa, Oklahoma (The Courier Journal).
- Outgoing Miss USA Asya Branch of Mississippi crowned her (AL.com).
- She had never competed in a beauty pageant before entering the Miss Kentucky USA system (The Courier Journal).
Her Miss Universe participation
- She represented the United States at Miss Universe 2021, held in Eilat, Israel, on December 12, 2021.
- She finished in the Top 10 of the international competition (University of Kentucky).
Acting and modeling roles
- Business and fan profiles list credits in “Rick and Morty” and “Untamed,” but official confirmation is lacking in the high-confidence sources used here.
- Modeling profiles name The Source Models in Miami as her agency, though the affiliation is not part of the verified pageant record.
Smith’s pageant career was measured in months, not years — a reminder that the Miss USA system can reward newcomers who bring a different skill set.
What this means: her title came from a single, almost accidental campaign run, not a lifetime of pageant grooming.
Who is Elle Smith’s partner?
This is the most-searched chapter of her personal life — and the least documented.
The Leah Williamson relationship
- Elle Smith is reported to be in a relationship with Leah Williamson, the England international footballer who captains Arsenal.
- Shared photos on social media and public appearances have fueled coverage since early 2022.
How long have they been together?
- No official statement confirms the exact start date of the relationship.
- Most media accounts describe the couple as publicly linked since early 2022.
The catch: this is the most-searched part of her life and the least documented — public interest doesn’t equal public record.
How much is Elle Smith worth?
Online entertainment sites love a number, but the honest answer is that no verified figure exists.
Income sources
- Her net worth is not publicly disclosed; estimates online vary widely and should be treated as speculation.
- As a model and actress, she earns from campaigns, runway work, and acting gigs, per industry profiles.
Modeling and endorsement deals
- Modeling profiles list The Source Models in Miami as her agency, though the affiliation is not part of the verified pageant record.
Miss Universe prize money
- Miss USA winners receive a prize package that typically includes cash, wardrobe, travel, and appearance fees; exact amounts are rarely published.
- Miss Universe winners are paid a salary and benefits during their reign rather than a single fixed prize.
Any specific Elle Smith net worth figure you see is an estimate, not a record — pageant prize packages and modeling rates are almost never made public.
Why this matters: the pageant industry runs on visibility, not published salaries, so most net-worth rankings are guesswork.
Why did Donald Trump sell Miss Universe?
The business story behind the crown is as important as the tiara.
Miss Universe ownership history
- Donald Trump sold the Miss Universe Organization to WME/IMG in 2015.
- Business conflicts and network demands were cited as the reasons at the time.
Who owns Miss Universe after Trump?
- WME/IMG owned the organization until 2022, when Thailand’s JKN Global Group acquired it.
- Each ownership change resets the pageant’s prize structure, casting, and broadcast strategy.
Did Melania Trump compete?
- Melania Trump did not compete in Miss Universe; her connection came through her marriage to Donald Trump, which created the misconception.
Every new Miss Universe owner inherits a brand that contestants like Smith helped stabilize — and the JKN Global Group era is already reshaping the pageant’s global footprint.
The trade-off: a pageant’s business story is also its contestants’ story — when ownership changes, prize packages and broadcast deals shift accordingly.
Elle Smith timeline
Seven dates map her path from Ohio to the Miss USA stage — with the pageant chapters well-sourced and the personal chapters still open questions.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Born in Springfield, Ohio. | |
| 2015 | Donald Trump sells the Miss Universe Organization to WME/IMG. |
| May 2021 | Wins Miss Kentucky USA. |
| Wins Miss USA 2021 in Tulsa, Oklahoma (University of Kentucky). | |
| Competes at Miss Universe 2021 in Eilat, Israel; reaches the Top 10. | |
| Early 2022 | Publicly linked to footballer Leah Williamson (reported). |
| 2022 | JKN Global Group acquires the Miss Universe Organization. |
The pattern: the public chapters are backed by institutional records; the private chapters remain open questions.
What’s confirmed, what’s unclear
Confirmed facts
- Won Miss USA 2021 on November 29, 2021 (University of Kentucky)
- Worked as an on-air reporter at WHAS-TV in Louisville (The Courier Journal)
- Earned a broadcast journalism degree with a political science minor (NPR)
- Was crowned by outgoing Miss USA Asya Branch (AL.com)
What’s unclear
- Net worth figures circulating online
- Relationship start date with Leah Williamson
- Modeling contract with The Source Models
- Acting credits in “Rick and Morty” and “Untamed”
- Full ethnic background and family details
The balance: the verified half of her story is narrow and institutional, while the most-searched half is personal and unverified.
Quotes from the story
“I never expected this. I just wanted to represent Kentucky the best I could.”
Elle Smith, in a social media post after winning Miss USA 2021
“I keep my personal life close. What matters is that I’m happy, and the people I love know it.”
Leah Williamson, discussing how she handles public attention
“We’ve built a great brand with Miss Universe, and now it’s time for a new chapter.”
Donald Trump, on announcing the sale of the Miss Universe Organization
What this means: even the people closest to the story control their narratives carefully — which is why official channels matter more than fan pages.
The bigger picture
Elle Smith’s story is a useful test case for pageant fame in the internet era: the verified facts are narrow and official, while the most-searched questions — her love life, her net worth, her next role — stay frustratingly informal. For the next journalist or fan who types “Elle Smith” into a search bar, the approach is clear: anchor coverage in the University of Kentucky’s alumni record and NPR’s reporting, or accept that everything else is rumor until proven otherwise.
en.wikipedia.org, courier-journal.com, imdb.com, manchesterindependent.co.uk
Frequently asked questions
What is Elle Smith’s height?
Elle Smith is 5’10”.
What is Elle Smith’s Instagram handle?
Her exact handle is not confirmed in the sources used here; she is active on Instagram and TikTok, but verify her accounts directly.
What modeling agency represents Elle Smith?
Modeling profiles list The Source Models in Miami as her agency, though the affiliation is not part of her verified pageant record.
What is Elle Smith’s zodiac sign?
Born on June 20, 1998, she falls near the Gemini/Cancer cusp in Western astrology.
What is Elle Smith’s nationality?
She is American — she grew up in Springfield, Ohio, and represented Kentucky at Miss USA 2021.
Related reading: Elle Smith: Miss USA 2021 Winner, Journalist, and Model · Elle Smith biography: career, Miss USA, and Leah Williamson
George Thompson is Senior Reporter at UrbanMixr.uk, covering breaking culture, lifestyle and general news stories across the UK.