Rima Fakih, an American model, was crowned Miss USA in 2010. Having won the 2010 Miss Michigan USA competition, she represented the state of Michigan at the Miss USA 2010 pageant. Born to a Muslim household in Lebanon, she emigrated to the United States with her family when she was approximately seven years old in 1993. She was raised in both the Muslim and Christian faiths and graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in economics. After competing in various beauty contests with success, she entered the Miss Michigan competition in 2010 and won the state crown. Later, she won the title of Miss USA, prompting widespread speculation that she was the first Arab American and Muslim to do so. As Miss Michigan USA 2010, she was one of the first official pageant ambassadors for women’s self-defense education, and as Miss USA, she became an advocate for breast and ovarian cancer awareness. She has been working towards the elimination of Arab stereotypes in the United States and around the world. She is heavily involved in Hollywood films and reality television shows, and she is also taking greater steps to improve society.
Youth and Early Life
She was born on September 22, 1985, in Srifa, a tiny city in the Jabal Amel region of southern Lebanon, to Shi’a Muslim parents Hussein Fakih, his wife, and Nadia Fakih. She is one of her parents’ five children.
Previously, she resided in the town of Souk El Gharb on Mount Lebanon and attended St. Rita’s, a Catholic school located near Beirut. In 1993, her family fled the Lebanese Civil War by relocating to New York.
Her father had a restaurant in Manhattan, and she attended St. John’s Preparatory School in Queens, a Catholic secondary school. However, the family was susceptible to threats and vandalism as a result of events in the Middle East, and business at her father’s restaurant decreased after the September 11 attacks in the United States.
In 2003, after graduating from school and moving with her family to Dearborn, Michigan’s significant Arab-American community, she launched a mentorship program to give children caring adult role models.
Later, she graduated from Henry Ford Community College and, while attending the University of Michigan, continued to give back to her community. She subsequently earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics with a minor in Business Administration.
She was an active participant in school life, serving as a class senator and president of Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE). She also participated in many community service initiatives.
Rima Fakih’s Career
She placed fourth runner-up at Miss Wayne County, a preliminary pageant for Miss Michigan within the Miss America system when she was 19 years old.
She was chosen to represent Michigan in the 2008 Miss Lebanon Emigrant contest. She finished third in the competition, behind Brazilian Carina El Kaddissi and Australian Jessica Kahawaty.
Later, she sold her automobile in order to compete for Miss Michigan USA. She won the Miss Michigan USA pageant on September 19, 2009, and went on to represent Michigan at the Miss USA 2010 pageant.
She has crowned Miss USA on May 16, 2010, breaking a five-year sequence of Southern states winning and becoming the first Miss Michigan USA to win the national title since 1993.
Numerous Arab-Americans welcomed her triumph, while some Muslims condemned her for using vulgarity and held her accountable for degrading the image of Muslim women around the world by wearing a bikini.
She represented the United States as Miss USA at the 2010 Miss Universe pageant but was unable to advance to the semi-finals.
She was the ring announcer for the matches at the WWE Tribute to the Troops in December 2010. Later, she competed in the fifth season of WWE Tough Enough but was eliminated in episode four.
She had many memorable appearances after being crowned, including speaking at Ronald Reagan’s Centennial Celebration, riding a float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and visiting an American Chamber of Commerce meeting in Cairo alongside former President Bill Clinton.
She starred in the 2011 Hugh Jackman film ‘Real Steel’ as well.
In 2012, she appeared on The Choice, a Fox dating game show.
Awards & Achievements
In 2011, she was rated 100th on the list of “100 Most Powerful Arab Women” compiled by “Arabian Business.” She was ranked #86 on the 2011 edition of AskMen.com’s list of the Top 99 Women.
She has been recognized by organizations such as ‘The Ethnic Foundation of Understanding,’ ‘The Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee,’ and ‘The Renee Mowad Foundation,’ and she was also given the key to the city of Connecticut.
Personal History and Legacy
In 2011, she was arrested in Highland Park, Michigan for DUI. She was later found guilty and sentenced to six months of probation, a $600 fine, and twenty hours of community service.
Estimated Net Worth
American beauty queen and former Miss USA Rima Fakih has a net worth of $500,000 USD. Rima Fakih was born in 1985 in Srifa, South Governorate, Lebanon, and resided there until her family left during the Lebanese Civil War to migrate to the United States.