Crystle Stewart is an American actress and former Miss USA 2008 who stars as Mallory in Tyler Perry’s Netflix drama Beauty in Black, with an estimated net worth of $3 million in 2026, according to current estimates. Born on September 20, 1981, in Houston, Texas, she is 45 years old. She won Miss Texas USA and Miss USA in 2008 before building a screen career in Tyler Perry productions.
Her career now covers pageantry, television, film, business, and pageant leadership. For U.S. viewers discovering her through Netflix, her story began with a crown she pursued for years and now includes a major streaming role.
Quick Facts
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Full name | Crystle Danae Stewart |
| Date of birth | September 20, 1981 |
| Age | 45 (born September 20, 1981) |
| Birthplace | Houston, Texas |
| Education | University of Houston |
| Field of study | Consumer science and merchandising |
| Major pageant titles | Miss Texas USA 2008, Miss USA 2008 |
| Miss Universe result | Top 10 at Miss Universe 2008 |
| Spouse | Max Sebrechts (married August 9, 2014) |
| Children | Two |
| Current major TV role | Mallory Bellarie in Beauty in Black |
| Net worth (2026) | About $3 million (estimate) |
Her birth information is supported by established entertainment databases, while her education and pageant record are documented by the University of Houston and Miss USA.
Key Takeaways
- She won Miss USA in 2008 after earning the Miss Texas USA title on her fifth attempt.
- She reached the Top 10 at Miss Universe 2008.
- Her acting credits include For Better or Worse, Good Deeds, Acrimony, and Too Close to Home.
- She is 45 years old; she was born on September 20, 1981.
- Season 3 of Beauty in Black arrived on Netflix on August 27, 2026.
- Netflix has already confirmed a fourth season of the series.
Crystle Stewart at a Glance
Stewart first became nationally known through beauty pageants. Her win was not the result of a single successful try. She competed for the Miss Texas USA crown several times before finally winning.
That persistence became one of the defining parts of her early public story. She later converted pageant recognition into work in acting, entrepreneurship, and pageant management.
Today, a younger audience may recognize her first as Mallory from Beauty in Black. That makes her career unusual because it connects two different periods of American entertainment culture.
How Five Miss Texas Attempts Led to the Miss USA Crown
Stewart won Miss Texas USA 2008 on July 1, 2007. It was her fifth attempt at the state title, after semifinal and runner-up finishes in earlier years. The University of Houston highlighted her persistence when reporting her later national victory.
On April 11, 2008, she represented Texas at Miss USA and won the national crown. The victory made her the ninth woman from Texas to become Miss USA.
She then represented the United States at Miss Universe 2008 in Vietnam. She advanced to the Top 10 and finished eighth overall.
The pageant years also came after her studies at the University of Houston. Records from the university identify her degree field as consumer science and merchandising.
Her route to Miss USA matters because it shows a career built through repeated attempts rather than an instant breakthrough. That pattern continued when she later moved from pageantry into acting.
From Pageant Winner to Tyler Perry Actress
After her Miss USA year, Stewart pursued acting and studied the craft, including training associated with the New York Film Academy. Her screen career became closely connected with Tyler Perry productions.
Crystle Stewart built a television audience through Tyler Perry’s For Better or Worse. She also appeared in projects such as Good Deeds, Too Close to Home, House of Payne, and the thriller Acrimony. Netflix’s own cast guide lists several of those credits.
The shift was significant. Pageant fame gave her national recognition, but acting gave her a career that continued long after her reign ended.
Why Beauty in Black Is Her Biggest 2026 Update
Stewart currently plays Mallory Bellarie in Tyler Perry’s Netflix drama Beauty in Black. Mallory is closely tied to the wealthy Bellarie family and the beauty company at the center of the series.
The role has placed the former Miss USA winner in front of a large streaming audience. Netflix lists the show as a three-season series as of August 2026.
Season 3 premiered on August 27, 2026, and Netflix’s Tudum confirmed that the series was renewed for a fourth season ahead of the Season 3 debut.
That timing makes her current profile distinct from older biographies that end at her pageant years or her early Tyler Perry work. Her career is active, and Mallory remains one of her most visible roles.
Her Miss USA Leadership Chapter
Stewart later returned to pageantry in an executive role. In 2020, she became president and national director connected with Miss USA and Miss Teen USA. The Houston Chronicle described her as the organization’s first Black director.
In August 2023 the Miss Universe Organization said an outside investigation had found allegations against Stewart’s Miss USA leadership to be false, and the two sides ended their working relationship after failing to agree on terms for her continued involvement.
Husband, Children, and Life Between Houston and Los Angeles
Stewart married Belgian-born model Max Sebrechts on August 9, 2014. The couple has two children, daughter Anne-Jolie and son Max Jr.
She does not make every detail of family life central to her public image. A 2026 interview with NewBeauty offered a clearer picture of her current routine.
She said her life is divided between Houston and Los Angeles. Houston is associated with family routines and her children, while Los Angeles connects more directly with her entertainment work.
That arrangement also reflects her long connection with Texas. Houston was central to her education and pageant career decades before her Netflix work.
A Career Timeline That Shows the Reinvention
One useful way to understand her career is to place the pageant, acting, and executive chapters side by side.
| Year | Approx. age | Career milestone |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 25 | Won Miss Texas USA 2008 on her fifth attempt |
| 2008 | 26 | Won Miss USA and reached the Top 10 at Miss Universe |
| 2011 | 29-30 | Became known to TV viewers through For Better or Worse |
| 2014 | 32 | Married Max Sebrechts |
| 2020 | 38-39 | Took a leadership role with Miss USA and Miss Teen USA |
| 2023 | 41 | Left her Miss USA leadership role |
| 2024 | 43 | Beauty in Black began its Netflix run |
| 2026 | 44 | Season 3 began streaming; Season 4 was already renewed |
The timeline shows why describing her only as a former beauty queen misses much of the story. She has repeatedly moved into a new professional role as an earlier chapter ended.
For U.S. readers, that progression also helps explain why her name keeps appearing in different kinds of searches. A pageant fan, Tyler Perry viewer, and Netflix subscriber may know her from three separate stages of the same career.
What Her Career Looks Like Now
Her Miss USA title remains an important part of her public identity, but it is no longer the final chapter. The acting career that followed has kept her visible for almost two decades.
In 2026, Beauty in Black is the clearest sign of that staying power. The Netflix series gives her a current role while introducing her to viewers who may know little about the 2008 pageant season.
Her story now connects pageantry, acting, business, executive leadership, marriage, motherhood, and a continuing relationship with Houston. The most useful way to follow her career is to treat it as an active one rather than a finished biography.
Crystle Stewart Net Worth
Crystle Stewart’s net worth is estimated at about $3 million, according to current estimates. The figure is an outside estimate rather than an audited or verified number, and Stewart has not published her finances.
Her income has come from acting work on Tyler Perry productions such as For Better or Worse and Beauty in Black, film roles, her earlier modeling and pageant career, and her period running the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA franchise through her company, Miss Brand. No salary figures for her roles have been publicly reported.
Frequently Asked Questions
She is 45 years old. She was born on September 20, 1981, in Houston, Texas.
Yes. She won Miss Texas USA 2008 and then captured the Miss USA 2008 title on April 11, 2008. She later represented the United States at Miss Universe 2008 and reached the Top 10.
She married Belgian-born model Max Sebrechts on August 9, 2014. The couple has two children.
She plays Mallory Bellarie, a central figure in the Bellarie family and its beauty business. The role is one of her most prominent current television parts.
Season 3 started streaming on Netflix on August 27, 2026. Season 4 has also been confirmed.
Her notable credits include For Better or Worse, Good Deeds, Acrimony, Too Close to Home, House of Payne, and Beauty in Black.
Crystle Stewart’s estimated net worth is about $3 million, according to current estimates.
In a March 2026 interview, Stewart described her life as split between Houston and Los Angeles. She associated Houston with family life and Los Angeles with work.
