Miss America Operator Files for Bankruptcy as Next Pageant Nears

The company that runs the Miss America beauty pageant filed for bankruptcy following a legal dispute over its ownership.

Miss America Competition LLC sought protection from creditors on Friday and said on Tuesday that it owes some $4 million. The latest filing was a response to a former manager that said the bankruptcy was in “bad faith,” claiming the company isn’t facing dire financial distress.

The female beauty contest, launched over a century ago, has struggled to reinvent itself for a post-feminist age that’s chipped away at its cultural relevance.

But the court case appears to stem from a dispute ...