Originally appeared on E! Online

Miss America 2026 Cassie Donegan knows true beauty is not skin-deep.

Watch NBC 5 free wherever you are WATCH HERE

That's why the 28-year-old is brushing off online criticism over her makeup at the latest national pageant, during which she represented New York.

"I'm just a normal person. No, I don't want to hear people ever say anything negative, especially about my appearance," she told People in an interview published Sept. 9. "But I also respect that the internet is a public space and that people have the right to their opinion to be able to share that, and no one's going to be everyone's favorite all of the time."

Create a free account with NBC 5 DFW to save articles and videos. LEARN MORE

Instead, Donegan is "just going to do my best to

See Full Page