Rima Fakih
Encyclopedia
Rima Fakih (born September 22, 1985) is an American beauty pageant contestant, and winner of the 2010 Miss USA
title, and is also training to be a professional wrestler
in WWE as a WWE Diva
. She represented the state of Michigan in the Miss USA 2010
pageant, having previously won the 2010 Miss Michigan USA
competition. She competed on the fifth season of WWE Tough Enough
but was eliminated from the show on the fourth episode.
, a small city in the Jabal Amel
region of Southern Lebanon
, to a Shi'a Muslim family. As a young child, she lived in the village of Souk El Gharb
in Mount Lebanon
, and attended St. Rita's, a Catholic school near Beirut
. In 1993, her parents, Hussein and Nadia Fakih, moved their family to New York in order to escape effects of the Lebanese Civil War
. Fakih attended St. John's Preparatory School
, a Catholic high school
in Queens
, and her father ran a restaurant in Manhattan
. In New York, Fakih's family felt they were subjected to threats and vandalism based on events in the Middle East
, and business at her father's restaurant declined following the September 11, 2001, attacks. In 2003, her family moved to the large Arab-American community in Dearborn, Michigan
. Fakih and her family are Muslim, but they also celebrate elements of Christianity
, such as Christmas.
Fakih resides in Dearborn. She graduated from Henry Ford Community College
, went on to earn degrees in economics and business management from the University of Michigan–Dearborn, and plans to attend law school after her year-long reign. She has a sister, who returned to live in Lebanon, and two brothers. Prior to winning the Miss USA title she worked as a sales associate at the Detroit Medical Center
, developing and recruiting in the Arab American community. She is currently dating Ricky Romero
, a professional baseball
player for the Toronto Blue Jays
.
in the Miss America
system. She also competed in three smaller international pageants.
pageant, and is open to young women who are Lebanese or of Lebanese origin, living in countries of the overseas Lebanese community
. Fakih placed third in the contest, held August 13 in Batroun
, Lebanon, finishing behind Carina El Kaddissi of Brazil and Jessica Kahawaty of Australia.
pageant on September 19, 2009 at the McMorran Place Theater
Port Huron
. In May 2010 she represented Michigan at the Miss USA 2010
pageant held at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino
in Las Vegas, Nevada
. She won the Miss USA title on May 16, 2010, becoming the first Miss Michigan USA to win the national title since Kenya Moore
in 1993
.
Fakih is widely believed to be the first Lebanese American, the first Arab American
and the first Muslim to win the Miss USA title; however, pageant officials stated their records are not detailed enough to confirm these claims. The first Michigan delegate to win the Miss USA title, Carole Gist, became the first African-American Miss USA in 1990
.
Less than 24 hours after she was crowned, internet entertainment media directed attention to a website featuring a 2007 "Stripper 101" pole dancing contest sponsored by Detroit radio station WKQI
and won by Fakih. WKQI said they had been contacted by representatives of the Miss Universe Organization
, requesting additional photographs and information about the contest. The station expressed their support for Fakih, adding "the photos taken from our website are no more provocative than those on the Miss USA website." On May 18, Miss USA pageant representatives told ABC News
they would proceed with their media tour starring Fakih. She was also an actress in an independent short film
with sexual undertones titled Throbbing Justice.
During and after the Miss USA pageant, Fakih's religious and ethnic identity became the subject of widespread discussion. On the subject of identity, she was quoted as saying "I'd like to say I'm American first, and I am an Arab-American, I am Lebanese-American, and I am Muslim-American."
Many Arab Americans celebrated Fakih's victory, but some Muslims felt she did not properly represent their religion. Muslim scholar Ghazal Omid
wrote "To say that she is a Muslim is inaccurate. No Muslim woman can call herself a ... Muslim and be on stage with her bikini". Responding to the issue in interviews, Fakih said she and her family are Muslims and respect the religion, but they may not be as strict as many people and do not define themselves by their religion; they view themselves as more "spiritual" than "religious" and appreciate all religions. On the subject of the planned Islamic cultural center and mosque in New York, Fakih stated, "I totally agree with President Obama
with the statement on the constitutional rights of freedom of religion. [But] it shouldn't be so close to the World Trade Center
. We should be more concerned with the tragedy than religion."
pageant, held at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
in Las Vegas
on August 23. Fakih did not place as a semi-finalist and was the first Miss USA since Shauntay Hinton
, Miss USA 2002, to not place at the Miss Universe
pageant.
, where she crowned Sheamus, the winner of the King of the Ring
tournament. In December 2010, at WWE Tribute to the Troops
she served as the ring announcer for the matches. She later competed on WWE Tough Enough
on USA
and was eliminated in week four.. Fakih was the only contestant not to appear on the live final episode.
She is listed number 86 on AskMen.com
's top 99 women 2011 edition. On May 24, 2011, The Roots
performed a freestyle song about her during her appearance on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon
. She also stars in the movie Real Steel
, starring Hugh Jackman
, scheduled to premiere on October 7, 2011.
Miss USA
The Miss USA beauty contest has been held annually since 1952 to select the United States entrant in the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Universe Organization operates both pageants, as well as Miss Teen USA...
title, and is also training to be a professional wrestler
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
in WWE as a WWE Diva
WWE Diva
Diva is a term used by World Wrestling Entertainment , an American professional wrestling promotion, to refer to its female talent. The term is applied to women who appear as wrestlers, managers or valets, backstage interviewers, or ring announcers....
. She represented the state of Michigan in the Miss USA 2010
Miss USA 2010
Miss USA 2010, the 59th edition of the Miss USA pageant, was held at the Theatre for the Performing Arts in Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 16, 2010. Miss USA 2009, Kristen Dalton of North Carolina, crowned her successor, Rima Fakih of Michigan as Miss USA 2010 at the...
pageant, having previously won the 2010 Miss Michigan USA
Miss Michigan USA
The Miss Michigan USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Michigan in the Miss USA pageant.Michigan is recognized by as being within the top 15 states in terms of Miss USA success. Their first Miss USA victory was in 1990, and notable because Carole Gist...
competition. She competed on the fifth season of WWE Tough Enough
WWE Tough Enough
WWE Tough Enough is a professional wrestling reality television program produced by WWE wherein participants undergo professional wrestling training and compete for a contract with WWE. There were two winners per season for the first three seasons, all of which aired on MTV...
but was eliminated from the show on the fourth episode.
Personal life
Fakih was born in SrifaSrifa
Srifa is a town in Southern Lebanon, located in Tyros District, Governorate of South Lebanon. It is located 22 kilomteres east of the city Tyros and 90 kilometers south of the capital Beirut. It is the birthplace of Rima Fakih, Miss USA 2010....
, a small city in the Jabal Amel
Jabal Amel
Jabal Amel or Amil is a mountainous region of Southern Lebanon.The region is named after the Banu 'Amilah, a Yemenite tribe who, along with the kindred tribes of Hamadan, Lakhm, and Judham, settled in Syria, Palestine, parts of Jordan, and Lebanon. The area was known in ancient times as Jabal...
region of Southern Lebanon
Southern Lebanon
Southern Lebanon is the geographical area of Lebanon comprising the South Governorate and the Nabatiye Governorate. These two entities were divided from the same province in the early 1990s...
, to a Shi'a Muslim family. As a young child, she lived in the village of Souk El Gharb
Souk El Gharb
Souk El Gharb is a village in the Mount Lebanon Governorate, Aley District, in the country of Lebanon. The name of the village translates to "Western Market."...
in Mount Lebanon
Mount Lebanon Governorate
Mount Lebanon is one of the Governorates of Lebanon. Its capital is Baabda. The overwhelming majority of its population is Maronites, Greek Orthodox, and Melkite Greek Catholic Christians...
, and attended St. Rita's, a Catholic school near Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
. In 1993, her parents, Hussein and Nadia Fakih, moved their family to New York in order to escape effects of the Lebanese Civil War
Lebanese Civil War
The Lebanese Civil War was a multifaceted civil war in Lebanon. The war lasted from 1975 to 1990 and resulted in an estimated 150,000 to 230,000 civilian fatalities. Another one million people were wounded, and today approximately 350,000 people remain displaced. There was also a mass exodus of...
. Fakih attended St. John's Preparatory School
St. John's Preparatory School (New York City)
St. John's Preparatory School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens, New York City, New York. It is located within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn.-Background:...
, a Catholic high school
Catholic schools in the United States
Catholic schools in the United States are accredited by independent and/or state agencies, and teachers are generally certified. Catholic schools are supported through tuition payments and fund raising.-Operation:...
in Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, and her father ran a restaurant in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. In New York, Fakih's family felt they were subjected to threats and vandalism based on events in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, and business at her father's restaurant declined following the September 11, 2001, attacks. In 2003, her family moved to the large Arab-American community in Dearborn, Michigan
Dearborn, Michigan
-Economy:Ford Motor Company has its world headquarters in Dearborn. In addition its Dearborn campus contains many research, testing, finance and some production facilities. Ford Land controls the numerous properties owned by Ford including sales and leasing to unrelated businesses such as the...
. Fakih and her family are Muslim, but they also celebrate elements of Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, such as Christmas.
Fakih resides in Dearborn. She graduated from Henry Ford Community College
Henry Ford Community College
Henry Ford Community College is a public two-year college located in Dearborn, Michigan. The school, established in 1938, is accredited by North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and the Michigan Commission on College Accreditation. The school was originally named Fordson Junior College...
, went on to earn degrees in economics and business management from the University of Michigan–Dearborn, and plans to attend law school after her year-long reign. She has a sister, who returned to live in Lebanon, and two brothers. Prior to winning the Miss USA title she worked as a sales associate at the Detroit Medical Center
Detroit Medical Center
The Detroit Medical Center, located in Midtown Detroit, Michigan, has more than 2,000 licensed beds, 3,000 affiliated physicians and over 12,000 employees. The DMC is the affiliated clinical research site for medical program at Wayne State University...
, developing and recruiting in the Arab American community. She is currently dating Ricky Romero
Ricky Romero
Henry Romero was a professional wrestler better known as "Rapid" Ricky Romero. Romero was best known for being a huge draw in the State of Texas in the 1970s.-Rise to fame:...
, a professional baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player for the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
.
Pageants
Fakih competed in her first pageant when she was nineteen, placing fourth runner-up at Miss Wayne County, a preliminary pageant for Miss MichiganMiss Michigan
The Miss Michigan competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Michigan in the Miss America pageant. Michigan has won the Miss America crown on five occasions.- Winners :- External links :*...
in the Miss America
Miss America
The Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
system. She also competed in three smaller international pageants.
Miss Lebanon Emigrant
In 2008, Fakih was selected to represent Michigan in the Miss Lebanon Emigrant competition. The event is part of the Miss LebanonMiss Lebanon
.Miss Lebanon - Lebanon's Official National Beauty Pageant is a beauty contest in Lebanon.Miss Lebanon is the only national beauty contest that awards prizes worth more than one million US dollars to its winners. It is broadcast on Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation , since 1991...
pageant, and is open to young women who are Lebanese or of Lebanese origin, living in countries of the overseas Lebanese community
Lebanese diaspora
Lebanese diaspora refers to Lebanese migrants and their descendants who by choice or coercion emigrated from Lebanon and now reside in other countries....
. Fakih placed third in the contest, held August 13 in Batroun
Batroun
The coastal city of Batroun located in northern Lebanon is one of the oldest cities of the world. Batroun is home to a Lebanese Red Cross First Aid Center.- Etymology :...
, Lebanon, finishing behind Carina El Kaddissi of Brazil and Jessica Kahawaty of Australia.
Miss USA
Fakih won the Miss Michigan USAMiss Michigan USA
The Miss Michigan USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Michigan in the Miss USA pageant.Michigan is recognized by as being within the top 15 states in terms of Miss USA success. Their first Miss USA victory was in 1990, and notable because Carole Gist...
pageant on September 19, 2009 at the McMorran Place Theater
McMorran Place
McMorran Place is an entertainment complex in Port Huron, Michigan consisting of a 4,800-seat multi-purpose arena, a pavilion and a theater. It was designed by Alden Dow and built in 1960 for $3.5 million .- Sports :...
Port Huron
Port Huron, Michigan
Port Huron is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of St. Clair County. The population was 30,184 at the 2010 census. The city is adjacent to Port Huron Township but is administratively autonomous. It is joined by the Blue Water Bridge over the St. Clair River to Sarnia,...
. In May 2010 she represented Michigan at the Miss USA 2010
Miss USA 2010
Miss USA 2010, the 59th edition of the Miss USA pageant, was held at the Theatre for the Performing Arts in Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 16, 2010. Miss USA 2009, Kristen Dalton of North Carolina, crowned her successor, Rima Fakih of Michigan as Miss USA 2010 at the...
pageant held at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino
Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino
Planet Hollywood Las Vegas, previously known as The Aladdin, is a casino resort on the Las Vegas Strip, in the unincorporated locale of Paradise, Nevada, United States. Westgate Resorts operates the condo portion of the property, known as PH Towers by Westgate.Planet Hollywood is owned by Caesars...
in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. She won the Miss USA title on May 16, 2010, becoming the first Miss Michigan USA to win the national title since Kenya Moore
Kenya Moore
Kenya Summer Moore is an American film and television actress, producer, beauty queen, model and author.She is recognizable for her roles in movies such as Waiting to Exhale, Deliver Us from Eva and the 2007 Lindsay Lohan thriller I Know Who Killed Me...
in 1993
Miss USA 1993
Miss USA 1993, the 42nd Miss USA pageant, was televised live from the Century II Convention Center in Wichita, Kansas on 19 February 1993.At the conclusion of the final competition, Kenya Moore of Michigan was crowned by outgoing titleholder Shannon Marketic of California...
.
Fakih is widely believed to be the first Lebanese American, the first Arab American
Arab American
An Arab American is a United States citizen or resident of Arab ethnic, cultural and linguistic heritage or identity, who identifies themselves as Arab. Arab Americans trace ancestry to any of the various waves of immigrants of the countries comprising the Arab World...
and the first Muslim to win the Miss USA title; however, pageant officials stated their records are not detailed enough to confirm these claims. The first Michigan delegate to win the Miss USA title, Carole Gist, became the first African-American Miss USA in 1990
Miss USA 1990
Miss USA 1990, the 39th Miss USA pageant, was televised live from the Century II Convention Center in Wichita, Kansas on March 2, 1990.At the conclusion of the final competition, Carole Gist of Michigan was crowned by outgoing titleholder Gretchen Polhemus of Texas...
.
Less than 24 hours after she was crowned, internet entertainment media directed attention to a website featuring a 2007 "Stripper 101" pole dancing contest sponsored by Detroit radio station WKQI
WKQI
WKQI — branded Channel 955 — is a commercial pop/CHR radio station in Detroit, Michigan, owned by Clear Channel Communications. WKQI transmits its signal with an effective radiated power of 100,000 watts from an antenna 430 feet in height located at the intersection of Greenfield Road and 10 Mile...
and won by Fakih. WKQI said they had been contacted by representatives of the Miss Universe Organization
Miss Universe Organization
The Miss Universe Organization is the organization that currently owns and runs the Miss Universe, Miss USA and Miss Teen USA beauty contests. Based in New York, it is owned jointly by NBC Universal and Donald Trump. The current president is Paula Shugart...
, requesting additional photographs and information about the contest. The station expressed their support for Fakih, adding "the photos taken from our website are no more provocative than those on the Miss USA website." On May 18, Miss USA pageant representatives told ABC News
ABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
they would proceed with their media tour starring Fakih. She was also an actress in an independent short film
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
with sexual undertones titled Throbbing Justice.
During and after the Miss USA pageant, Fakih's religious and ethnic identity became the subject of widespread discussion. On the subject of identity, she was quoted as saying "I'd like to say I'm American first, and I am an Arab-American, I am Lebanese-American, and I am Muslim-American."
Many Arab Americans celebrated Fakih's victory, but some Muslims felt she did not properly represent their religion. Muslim scholar Ghazal Omid
Ghazal Omid
Ghazal Omid is an Iranian-Canadian author. She wrote an autobiographical work entitled Living In Hell: A True Odyssey of a Woman's Struggle in Islamic Iran Against Personal and Political Forces. She is known in the United States as an advocate for human rights and women's rights and is also a Shi'a...
wrote "To say that she is a Muslim is inaccurate. No Muslim woman can call herself a ... Muslim and be on stage with her bikini". Responding to the issue in interviews, Fakih said she and her family are Muslims and respect the religion, but they may not be as strict as many people and do not define themselves by their religion; they view themselves as more "spiritual" than "religious" and appreciate all religions. On the subject of the planned Islamic cultural center and mosque in New York, Fakih stated, "I totally agree with President Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
with the statement on the constitutional rights of freedom of religion. [But] it shouldn't be so close to the World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
. We should be more concerned with the tragedy than religion."
Miss Universe
As holder of the Miss USA title, Fakih represented the United States in the 2010 Miss UniverseMiss Universe 2010
Miss Universe 2010, the 59th edition of the pageant, was held at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. on August 23, 2010. It was hosted by Bret Michaels and Natalie Morales...
pageant, held at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino is a 44-story luxury hotel casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is owned by MGM Resorts International. Five floors of the main hotel building are occupied by the five-star and AAA Five-Diamond Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas...
in Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
on August 23. Fakih did not place as a semi-finalist and was the first Miss USA since Shauntay Hinton
Shauntay Hinton
Shauntay Hinton is an actress and former beauty queen from Starkville, Mississippi who won the Miss USA title in 2002.-Education:Hinton graduated from Starkville High School in 1997. She later studied broadcast communications at Howard University....
, Miss USA 2002, to not place at the Miss Universe
Miss Universe
Miss Universe is an annual international beauty contest that is run by the Miss Universe Organization. The pageant is the most publicized beauty contest in the world with 600 million viewers....
pageant.
Other media
Fakih appeared as a guest star on the November 29, 2010, edition of WWE RawWWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
, where she crowned Sheamus, the winner of the King of the Ring
King of the Ring (2010)
King of the Ring was a special edition of World Wrestling Entertainment's television program, Raw. The episode was held on November 29, 2010 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
tournament. In December 2010, at WWE Tribute to the Troops
WWE Tribute to the Troops
WWE Tribute to the Troops is an annual event held by WWE together with Armed Forces Entertainment in December around Christmas since 2003 as a way of honoring the men and women of the United States armed forces serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Selected WWE wrestlers and employees travel to the said...
she served as the ring announcer for the matches. She later competed on WWE Tough Enough
WWE Tough Enough
WWE Tough Enough is a professional wrestling reality television program produced by WWE wherein participants undergo professional wrestling training and compete for a contract with WWE. There were two winners per season for the first three seasons, all of which aired on MTV...
on USA
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
and was eliminated in week four.. Fakih was the only contestant not to appear on the live final episode.
She is listed number 86 on AskMen.com
AskMen.com
AskMen.com is a free online men’s web portal, with international versions in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia.-History:...
's top 99 women 2011 edition. On May 24, 2011, The Roots
The Roots
The Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...
performed a freestyle song about her during her appearance on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon on NBC. The show premiered on March 2, 2009, as the third incarnation of the Late Night franchise originated by David Letterman....
. She also stars in the movie Real Steel
Real Steel
Real Steel is a 2011 American science fiction film starring Hugh Jackman and directed by Shawn Levy. The film is based in part on the 1956 short story "Steel" by Richard Matheson, though Levy placed the film in U.S. state fairs and other "old-fashioned" Americana settings. Real Steel was in...
, starring Hugh Jackman
Hugh Jackman
Hugh Michael Jackman is an Australian actor and producer who is involved in film, musical theatre, and television.Jackman has won international recognition for his roles in major films, notably as action/superhero, period and romance characters...
, scheduled to premiere on October 7, 2011.