Chelsea Hardin

{{Short description|American model, public speaker, and beauty pageant titleholder}}

{{Infobox pageant titleholder

| image=Chelsea Hardin King Kamehameha Parade 2016 cropped.jpg

| name=Chelsea Hardin

| caption=

| title=Miss Hawaii USA 2016

| nationalcompetition=Miss Hawaii USA 2016
(Winner)
Miss USA 2016
(1st Runner-Up)

| birth_name= Chelsea Keolani Hardin

| birth_place= Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.

| education = ʻIolani School

| alma_mater = California Polytechnic State University

| height = {{convert|5|ft|11|in|cm|abbr=on}}

| birth_date={{birth date and age|1991|9|5}}

| eye_color=Brown

| hair_color=Brown

}}

Chelsea Keolani Hardin (born September 5, 1991) is an American model, public speaker, and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Hawaii USA 2016. She was the first runner-up to Deshauna Barber of District of Columbia at Miss USA 2016.

Early life

Hardin was born on September 5, 1991, in Honolulu, Hawaii. She is of Native Hawaiian, Chinese, Filipino, Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, Irish, English, French, and Scandinavian descent. Her father Kevin Hardin is a Hawaiian Airlines pilot, while her mother Christine Mitchell is a real estate agent.{{cite web|url=http://www.midweek.com/chelsea-hardin/|title=Fit For A Crown|last=Ting|first=Yu Shing|date=1 June 2016|work=MidWeek}} Hardin attended the ʻIolani School and later California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California.{{cite web|url=http://thegreatpageantcommunity.com/2015/11/25/chelsea-hardin-wins-miss-hawaii-usa-2016/|title=Chelsea Hardin wins Miss Hawaii USA 2016|publisher=The Great Pageant Community|date=25 November 2015}} While a university student, she played NCAA Division I women's volleyball.{{cite web|url=http://www.missuniverse.com/missusa/members/profile/825080/year:2016|title=Miss Hawaii USA 2016|publisher=Miss Universe Organization|accessdate=6 June 2016|archive-date=18 December 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221218131331/https://www.missuniverse.com/missusa/members/profile/825080/year%3A2016|url-status=dead}}

Pageantry

=Miss Hawaii USA 2016=

Hardin represented East Oahu at Miss Hawaii USA 2016 on November 22, 2015, and was crowned the winner by outgoing titleholder Emma Wo.{{cite web|url=http://khon2.com/2015/11/22/chelsea-hardin-of-east-oahu-crowned-miss-hawaii-usa-2016/|title=Chelsea Hardin of East Oahu crowned Miss Hawaii USA 2016|publisher=KHON-TV|date=22 November 2015}}

=Miss USA 2016=

On June 5, 2016, Hardin competed in the Miss USA 2016 pageant in Las Vegas, Nevada. She went on to place as the first runner-up to winner Deshauna Barber of District of Columbia, despite being the favorite to win.{{cite web|url=http://zap2it.com/2016/06/miss-usa-top-3-miss-hawaii-chelsea-hardin-sure-thing/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160606233307/http://zap2it.com/2016/06/miss-usa-top-3-miss-hawaii-chelsea-hardin-sure-thing/|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 6, 2016|title=Miss USA Top 3 finalists: Miss Hawaii Chelsea Hardin is a sure thing|last=Pruner|first=Aaron|date=5 June 2016|publisher=Zap2it}}{{cite web|url=http://heavy.com/entertainment/2016/06/who-won-miss-usa-2016-tonight-winner-wins-miss-district-of-columbia-deshauna-barber/|title=Who Won Miss USA 2016 Tonight?|publisher=Heavy|last=Weigle|first=Lauren|date=5 June 2016}}

The pageant garnered some controversy due to the question Hardin was asked by the judges during the final question portion of the pageant, which was if she'd vote for Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump during the 2016 United States presidential election. The question was criticized by numerous members of the media for being invasive, while the live audience booed after hearing what Hardin had been asked.{{cite magazine|url=https://time.com/4358459/miss-hawaii-miss-usa-voting-final-question/|title=Miss Hawaii Was Asked a Controversial Question About Voting and the Internet Was Not Happy|magazine=Time|date=6 June 2016|access-date=12 August 2016|last=Lang|first=Cady}}{{cite web|url=http://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/miss-usa-2016-pageant-asks-miss-hawaii-who-shes-voting-for-w208884|title=Miss USA 2016 Viewers Outraged That Miss Hawaii Was Asked Who She's Voting For|work=Us Weekly|date=6 June 2016|accessdate=12 August 2016|last=French|first=Megan}}{{cite web|url=http://www.cosmopolitan.com/lifestyle/news/a59444/miss-hawaii-miss-usa-question-voting/|title=People are Pissed About the Question Miss Hawaii was Asked During the Miss USA Pageant|last=Mei|first=Gina|date=5 June 2016|accessdate=12 August 2016|work=Cosmopolitan}}{{cite web|url=http://www.people.com/article/miss-usa-2016-miss-hawaii-voting-question|title=Viewers Furious After Miss Hawaii Asked Her Presidential Pick During Miss USA Questioning|work=People |last=Mazziotta|first=Julie|date=6 June 2016|accessdate=12 August 2016}}