The two-day strobe light, pop music pounding, fluorescent and sparkling gown shattered towards a dramatic conclusion when hairstylist and pageant industry veteran Salmarafront began revealing the 10 semi-finalists he cut in 2025 Miss Maine American Pajian.
A crowd of about 300 people gathered in the large ballroom at Holiday Importland by the Bay on Sunday afternoon. This hasn't been more exciting since April, when the hotel held Furcationland 2025, a treaty for people dressed as anthropomorphized animal characters.
“And we're about to get started,” Malafronte said.
St. Sill, who vibes in a dress that sparkles Marilyn Monroe vibes like a disco ball, flooded the front of the stage where Dejes joined her in a yellow gown and her Miss Penobscott sash.
Miss Belfast and Miss Lewiston followed immediately. Next was Miss Hancock, a petite brunette named Jordon Hudson, 24, with boyfriend Bill Belichick sitting on the far right in the front row. The relationship between Hudson, 73, a former New England Patriots coach, and Belichick, has been in the news recently, and is why this year's pageant has transformed from a quaint ritual to a tabloid sight.
Every move that Hudson made — every gesture, every facial expression — seemed at risk of surface on social media. Did she turn in Belichick's direction and wink on Saturday while modeling a green bikini? Did she get wrong when Miss Kennebeck County, Siobanslett and Hudson's long brown hair gave her face that had left the stage on a quick spin? (Thrett gave Hudson a wider berth throughout the evening gown segment.)
On Sunday, after she was nominated as one of five finalists, Hudson appears to have confirmed last month that she was dealing with a fallout from cameo on “CBS Sunday Morning.”
“Jordon, come down!” Mr. Marafron said in the pageant. “How are you?”
“Now I feel an enormous amount of pride,” Hudson said. “Everyone who sees this wants to push through what they are going through and find the power to embody what they are going through and to embody that hate never wins.”
The pageant was hosted by former Miss Massachusetts American Genturner and Mr. Malafronte, who worked the room as if he had crashed an open mic night at the laughing factory.
But for the contestants, the pageant was a serious business, each with his own motivation to compete. As a collection of gown-wearing bikini modelling, they looked particularly brave this year amidst the huge attention.
“I respect those who step into this space with purpose,” DeJess said.
Dejesus, 21, decided to go to it after seeing an ad on Facebook. She said trying to become the queen of beauty was not one of her goals. But perhaps that's because women of color have traditionally been underrated in the pageant world.
“So I'm excited to show up for the little girl inside me who has never seen anyone like her in this kind of spotlight,” Dejes, who identified herself as Afro-Latin and Native American, said in an interview last week.
DeJess teaches at the parenting centre where her fascinating photographs as Miss Penobscott created the impression that she was actually a princess who “goes off to save the world.”
“I made them think of what they wanted!” she said.
For St. Sill, a trans woman, getting into the pageant was to realize her “lifelong dream,” she said. She grew up in Howland, a small town in central Maine, before moving to Bangor where she worked as a makeup artist. She currently lives in Monson (population: 609) with her boyfriend Patrick Scott, a geologist. They have a farm with cattle, pigs, chickens, ducks, geese and quail. St. Cyr, 24, sells eggs at local markets.
Her life was pretty quiet until she entered the pageant. Almost overnight, she said someone who was friendly with her started bullying.
“I don't think anyone in my town knew I was a trans before all this happened,” St. Sill said. “I think people are really comfortable saying things that politicians say really annoying things, and they think it's fine.”
However, the only difficult political situation was the motivation of Saint Sil, who made history as the first trans woman in the pageant. She said haters were always the loudest, and she knew she had the support from friends, family and other contestants.
If there was one thing that bothered Saint Sill, it seemed that several publications were greeting her directly with Hudson.
That type of reporting helped to promote her doubts about the news media, but contestants were largely insulated from intrusions during the event. Outside organizations were prohibited from taking photos inside the ballroom. The news outlet had the option to buy directly from the pageant for $3,000. And contestants were banned from interacting with reporters.
Malafronte concluded Saturday's preliminary festivities. Members of the audience were informed that staff could spend 15 minutes with the contestants before chasing them off for a “pajama and pizza party.” He asked “all members of the press” to open the ballroom, and to ensure that “the family and friends of our competitors can spend their private time.”
When several reporters dawd, Belichick had already left through the emergency exit – Marafronte was in an impatience.
“We're not going to take them off stage until the press is gone,” he said.
On Sunday, Hudson finished third in a year after finishing as runner-up. The crown went to Shelby Howell in Bangor. His brief press conference was shortened after she stopped answering her after she asked two questions. One is about Belichick's existence, and the other is about transgender inclusiveness.
In the afternoon, the hotel lobby was cleared in time for the New England Water Environment Association's spring meeting. DeJess left with her family after winning the award as a co-winner for the Pageant's online voting. Still wearing a sash, St. Sill found her boyfriend and rolled her small suitcase into the car she had parked outside.
And when Hudson stomps her with Mr. Belichick in a Mercedes SUV, she's ready to move on to the next location.
