Apparently, 24 years old is too old for the Miss Delaware title.
Amanda Longacre, 24, was stripped of her crown this week by pageant organizers, who said that her age violated a clause in the rules for the Miss America competition. The Miss America Organization says contestants must be 17 to 24 years old, and Longacre turns 25 in October, a month after the Miss America competition.
Related: First Indian-American Crowned Miss America
Not surprisingly, Longacre isn't taking the news too well.
Longacre appeared on the Today show Friday, clearly emotional about being stripped of her title, which she won on June 14.
"It's like they're trying to erase me in a way, like it never happened. And it's not fair because I won outright, and I deserve to represent my state, and I want this chance to go to Miss America," she said.
Though things clearly got worse when she was reminded that the first runner-up, Brittany Lewis -- also 24 -- was already crowned Thursday.
Longacre dissolved into tears.
Support real journalism. Support local journalism. Subscribe to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution today. See offers.
Your subscription to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution funds in-depth reporting and investigations that keep you informed. Thank you for supporting real journalism.