The timeline of Trump’s Creepiness While He Owned Miss Universe runs from 1996 through 2015 and includes reported body-shaming, an alleged unwanted kiss, accounts of dressing-room or backstage entry while contestants were changing, and Trump’s own 2005 recorded description of entering such areas. The episodes are not equally documented, universally corroborated, or legally adjudicated.
Donald Trump owned or co-owned the Miss Universe Organization during this period, including Miss Universe, Miss USA, and Miss Teen USA. The timeline separates the dates of the underlying events from the October 2016 reporting wave that brought several contestants’ accounts back into public attention.
Key takeaways
- Donald Trump owned or co-owned the Miss Universe Organization from 1996 through 2015; the organization included Miss Universe, Miss USA, and Miss Teen USA.
- Alicia Machado, Miss Universe 1996, later reported body-shaming and public humiliation after gaining weight during her reign.
- Former contestants reported unwanted kisses, dressing-room entry, and backstage presence in accounts connected to 1997, 2000, 2001, and 2006 events.
- In a 2005 Howard Stern interview, Trump himself described entering pageant dressing areas while contestants were undressed and said his ownership allowed him to do so.
- The accounts are not identical: some were corroborated by other contestants, some were disputed or denied, and some describe inappropriate presence or humiliation rather than sexual assault.
What years did Trump own Miss Universe?
Donald Trump owned or co-owned the Miss Universe Organization from 1996 through 2015. The organization included the Miss Universe, Miss USA, and Miss Teen USA competitions, so the timeline covers more than the televised Miss Universe pageant alone. The New Yorker’s account of Trump’s Miss Universe ownership provides the broader organizational context.
The underlying events in this timeline occurred between 1996 and 2006. Many accounts became public or received renewed coverage in October 2016. The date of a report is therefore not necessarily the date of the conduct being described.
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What is the timeline of Trump’s Creepiness While He Owned Miss Universe?
The documented timeline moves from reported body-shaming and public humiliation in 1996 to accounts of unwanted contact and backstage boundary violations, followed by Trump’s own 2005 description of entering pageant dressing areas while women were undressed.
| Underlying date | Pageant or setting | Person making the account | Reported conduct | Evidence and qualification | Response |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Miss Universe | Alicia Machado, Miss Universe 1996 | After Machado gained weight during her reign, she later said Trump used the terms “Miss Piggy” and “Miss Housekeeping,” publicly criticized her weight, called her an “eating machine,” and arranged for media to watch her exercise. | Later first-person account and contemporaneous-media reporting about public humiliation and body-shaming; not a dressing-room or unwanted-kiss allegation. | No separate response is specified in the cited account. |
| 1997 | Pageant-related rehearsal or event; later visit to Trump Tower | Temple Taggart McDowell, Miss Utah USA 1997 | McDowell said Trump kissed her on the lips without invitation when they were introduced and later kissed her again during a career-related visit to Trump Tower. | Named contestant’s first-person account; the alleged contact was unwanted according to McDowell. | Trump denied the account and later said he did not remember her. |
| 1997 | Miss Teen USA shared dressing room | Mariah Billado, Victoria Hughes, and other former contestants | Several contestants said Trump entered a shared dressing room while contestants were changing. Some contestants were teenagers, with reporting noting that some were as young as 15. | Multiple later recollections; the accounts establish reported entry while contestants were changing, not Trump’s motive, what he saw, or that he entered to view a particular minor. | The 2005 remarks about pageant dressing areas must not be treated as an admission specifically about this 1997 event. |
| 2000 | Miss New Hampshire USA backstage dressing area | Bridget Sullivan, Miss New Hampshire USA 2000 | Sullivan said Trump walked through dressing rooms while contestants were preparing and undressed. She also described his hugs as being low on her back and compared the squeeze to one from “your creepy uncle.” | Named contestant’s recollection; later reporting noted that some contestants did not remember Trump entering and others reported no negative experiences. | No universal consensus is established by the available reporting. |
| 2001 | Miss USA dress rehearsal | Tasha Dixon, Miss Arizona USA 2001 | Dixon said Trump entered the dressing room while contestants were changing into bikinis, including a moment when some were topless and others were naked. | Named contestant’s first-person account of entry into a vulnerable backstage space. | Campaign spokesperson Jessica Ditto called the story baseless and said the accusations had no merit. |
| 2005 | Howard Stern interview about pageant backstage areas | Donald Trump | Trump described going backstage while contestants were getting dressed, seeing contestants with no clothes, and invoking his ownership as the reason he was allowed to enter. | Direct recorded statement by Trump; it is primary evidence of what Trump said, but it does not independently prove every contestant’s account or establish his motive in each entry. | Trump’s own statement is the relevant response and acknowledgment of a related practice. |
| 2006 | Miss USA backstage hair-and-makeup area | Samantha Holvey, Miss North Carolina USA 2006 | Holvey said Trump entered the backstage hair-and-makeup area contestants passed through before reaching the dressing room. She was wearing a robe, was barely 20, and described the presence as extremely inappropriate. | Named contestant’s first-person account of backstage presence; Holvey’s account is distinct from an allegation of unwanted sexual touching. | No separate denial is specified in the cited interview account. |
What happened with Trump and Alicia Machado?
Alicia Machado’s account concerns reported body-shaming and public humiliation during her 1996 Miss Universe reign. Machado of Venezuela won the title at age 19, and she later said Trump criticized her weight after she gained weight while holding the crown.
Reporting attributed the terms “Miss Piggy” and “Miss Housekeeping” to Trump. The latter was described in reporting as referring to Machado’s Venezuelan accent or Spanish-speaking background. The New York Times’ account of Machado’s experience also described Trump’s public treatment of her. CBS’s official press material reported that Trump called Machado an “eating machine” during a Howard Stern interview and arranged for media to watch her exercise at a New York gym. CBS Media Ventures’ report on Machado’s account documents those details.
The Machado episode should be kept separate from the allegations involving unwanted kisses or dressing-room entry. The reported conduct here is degrading commentary, body-shaming, public humiliation, and an alleged misuse of the power attached to the pageant owner’s position.
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Did Trump kiss Miss Utah without consent?
Temple Taggart McDowell, Miss Utah USA 1997, said Trump kissed her on the lips without invitation and later repeated the unwanted kiss when she visited Trump Tower to discuss her career. NBC News’ report of McDowell’s account carried her allegation, while KSL’s follow-up report covered her response to Trump’s threatened legal action.
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Trump denied McDowell’s account and later said he did not remember her. The appropriate description is therefore a named contestant’s allegation of unwanted contact, followed by a denial or dispute—not a legally established finding.
Did Trump walk into Miss Teen USA dressing rooms?
Several former Miss Teen USA 1997 contestants said Trump entered a shared dressing room while contestants were changing. Reporting named Mariah Billado, Miss Vermont Teen USA, and Victoria Hughes, Miss New Mexico Teen USA, and described additional contestants corroborating the recollection. Some contestants were teenagers, with reports noting that some were as young as 15. PolitiFact’s source compilation summarizes the relevant reporting.
The careful claim is that contestants recalled Trump entering while they were changing. The available reporting does not establish that Trump entered specifically to view a particular minor unclothed, what he saw, or what his motive was. Trump’s 2005 comments about entering pageant dressing areas generally should be presented separately rather than as a specific admission about the 1997 Miss Teen USA event.
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Bridget Sullivan, Miss New Hampshire USA 2000, told reporters that Trump walked through dressing rooms while contestants were preparing for a broadcast and were undressed. Sullivan also said Trump’s hugs were “a little low on your back” and compared the squeeze to one from “your creepy uncle.”
Sullivan’s recollection is not universal evidence about everyone at the event. Later reporting noted that some contestants did not remember Trump entering the dressing room, while others said they had no negative experiences. The account should therefore be labeled as Sullivan’s first-person recollection, not as an uncontested description of the entire pageant.
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What happened at the 2001 Miss USA dress rehearsal?
Tasha Dixon, Miss Arizona USA 2001, said Trump entered the Miss USA dressing room during a dress rehearsal while contestants were changing into bikinis. Dixon said some contestants were topless and others were naked, and that contestants did not have time to put on robes or other clothing. CBS News’ report on Dixon’s account described the alleged entry and the pressure she said contestants felt to approach Trump, flatter him, and attract his attention.
“He just came strolling right in. There was no second to put a robe on or any sort of clothing or anything. Some girls were topless. Other girls were naked.”
Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.— Tasha Dixon, describing the 2001 Miss USA dress rehearsal in the CBS News report
Trump campaign spokesperson Jessica Ditto called Dixon’s story baseless and said the accusations had no merit. That denial belongs directly alongside Dixon’s account when the episode is summarized.
Did Donald Trump admit going backstage while pageant contestants were naked?
In a 2005 Howard Stern interview, Trump publicly described going backstage before a pageant while contestants were getting dressed, said contestants were standing there with no clothes, and said his ownership role allowed him to enter. The CNN transcript of the 2005 interview records the statement.
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“I’ll go backstage before a show and everyone’s getting dressed and ready and everything else. And you know, no men are anywhere. And I’m allowed to go in because I’m the owner of the pageant. And therefore, I’m inspecting it.”
Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.— Donald Trump, 2005 Howard Stern interview, as transcribed by CNN
“You know they’re standing there with no clothes. Is everybody OK? And you see these incredible looking women. And so I sort of get away with things like that.”
— Donald Trump, 2005 Howard Stern interview, as transcribed by CNN
Trump’s remarks are the most direct evidence in this timeline because they are his own recorded description of the practice and his claimed justification for it. The remarks do not prove that every witness remembered events accurately, that every dressing-room entry occurred in the same way, or that Trump entered with a particular motive. They do show that Trump publicly described entering pageant backstage areas while contestants were undressed and framed ownership as permission.
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What did Samantha Holvey report about the 2006 Miss USA backstage area?
Samantha Holvey, Miss North Carolina USA 2006, told CNN that Trump entered the backstage hair-and-makeup area contestants had to pass through before reaching the dressing room. Holvey said she was wearing a robe, was barely 20, and felt shocked that the owner entered while contestants were preparing. She called the conduct “extremely inappropriate.” CNN’s interview transcript with Holvey preserves the account and its context.
Holvey’s report concerns Trump’s presence in a vulnerable backstage environment. It should not be rewritten as an allegation that he touched her sexually, because the supplied account does not make that claim.
Which Miss USA contestants reported inappropriate behavior?
Reports came from several named state titleholders, but their accounts describe different conduct and should not be merged into one allegation.
| Contestant | Year and title | What she reported | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Temple Taggart McDowell | Miss Utah USA, 1997 | Unwanted kisses on two occasions, including a later visit to Trump Tower. | Trump denied the account and said he did not remember her. |
| Bridget Sullivan | Miss New Hampshire USA, 2000 | Trump walked through a dressing area while contestants were preparing and undressed; she also described hugs that felt too low on her back. | Some contestants did not remember the entry, and others reported no negative experiences. |
| Tasha Dixon | Miss Arizona USA, 2001 | Trump entered during a dress rehearsal while contestants were changing into bikinis. | Campaign spokesperson Jessica Ditto called the account baseless and said the accusations had no merit. |
| Samantha Holvey | Miss North Carolina USA, 2006 | Trump entered the backstage hair-and-makeup area while contestants prepared. | Holvey characterized the presence as inappropriate; her account was not an allegation of unwanted sexual touching. |
How should the evidence in this timeline be understood?
The evidence falls into several categories, and the categories matter more than a single generalized label such as “creepy.”
| Evidence category | Examples in this timeline | What the evidence supports | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trump’s own recorded statement | 2005 Howard Stern interview | Trump said he entered pageant dressing areas while contestants were undressed and invoked ownership as permission. | It does not prove every contestant’s specific account or establish motive for every entry. |
| Named contestant’s first-person account | McDowell, Sullivan, Dixon, and Holvey | Each contestant reported her own recollection of contact, dressing-room entry, or backstage presence. | A first-person recollection is not automatically a judicial finding, and the accounts differ in detail. |
| Multiple contestant recollections | Former Miss Teen USA 1997 contestants | Several contestants independently described Trump entering while contestants were changing. | The reporting does not establish what Trump saw or why he entered. |
| Public humiliation account | Machado’s 1996 Miss Universe experience | Machado’s later account describes body-shaming and public degradation during her reign. | It is a different category of conduct from the alleged kisses and dressing-room incidents. |
| Denial or conflicting recollection | Trump’s response to McDowell; Ditto’s response to Dixon; differing memories of the 2000 event | The public record includes disputes and does not present a single uncontested narrative. | Disagreement does not by itself resolve which account is accurate. |
Most importantly, the 2005 recording and the contestants’ later accounts should be connected carefully but not collapsed. Trump’s statement is direct evidence of what he said he did generally. The contestant accounts are separate reports about particular events. The statement may provide context, but it is not a confession to every allegation.
What is not established by the reporting?
The reporting assembled for this timeline does not establish that Trump was criminally charged or convicted for the specific pageant-era incidents described here. The available accounts also do not prove his motive in every dressing-room or backstage entry, and they do not show that every contestant experienced the conduct negatively.
Those limits do not erase the reports. They define how the reports should be written: as Trump’s recorded statements, named contestants’ first-person accounts, corroborated recollections where additional contestants reported similar events, and denials or disagreements where those responses are part of the record. The Los Angeles Times’ compilation of the accusations and responses illustrates why the allegations should be described individually rather than treated as one legally resolved case.
Further reading
Readers looking for a broader account of allegations against Trump may consider All the President’s Women: Donald Trump and the Making of a Predator, a 2019 investigative book discussed by The Guardian. The book covers allegations well beyond the Miss Universe Organization, so it should be treated as further reading about the broader subject—not as proof of any individual event in this timeline.
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The Bottom Line
The documented record shows a recurring pattern of reported boundary-crossing and degrading behavior during Trump’s 1996–2015 ownership or co-ownership of the Miss Universe Organization. The strongest direct evidence is Trump’s 2005 recorded description of entering pageant dressing areas while contestants were undressed; the other episodes remain distinct accounts with varying corroboration, denials, and limits.
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