Nicole Johnson (Miss California USA)

Nicole Johnson
Nicole Johnson
	Johnson at the Miss California USA pageant, November 22, 2009
Born	Nicole Michele Johnson; July 12, 1985 (age 39); Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S.
Nationality	United States
Spouse	Michael Phelps (m. 2016)
Children	4
Parents	Richard Johnson (father); Annette Johnson (mother);
	Beauty pageant titleholder
Title	Miss California USA 2010
Hair color	Brown
Eye color	Brown
Major; competition(s)	Miss California USA 2010; (Winner); Miss USA 2010; (Top 10)

Nicole Michele Johnson Phelps^[1] (born July 12, 1985)^[2] is an American beauty queen who was Miss California USA 2010 and competed in the Miss USA pageant.^[3]^[4]

Early life and education

Johnson, the daughter of Annette, a science teacher, and Richard, a pharmaceutical sales manager, was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, spent her early childhood in Pennsylvania, and moved to Westlake Village, California, prior to starting middle school.^[5]^[6] She graduated from Westlake High School in 2003.^[7]

In 2007, Johnson graduated with honors from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication, concentrating in sports and entertainment.^[8]^[9]

Career

When Johnson was 17, she read an advertisement in the Thousand Oaks Acorn for Miss California Teenager. Johnson, a student at Moorpark College, wanted to transfer to the University of Southern California and thought the scholarship would help pay her education. Out of 304 contestants Johnson took first runner-up.^[5]

After previously being first runner-up in the 2007 pageant,^[6] Johnson won the Miss California USA 2010 title in November 2009.^[10] She went on to compete in the Miss USA 2010 pageant held in Las Vegas where she placed ninth.^[8] She had been considered a favorite to win the title.^[11]

Personal life

On February 21, 2015, Johnson became engaged to swimmer Michael Phelps.^[12] Johnson and Phelps had first met at the 2007 ESPY Awards.^[3] They started dating in 2009 and temporarily broke up prior to the 2012 Summer Olympics before reuniting in 2014.^[3]^[13] On June 13, 2016, the couple wed in a private ceremony.^[14] The couple have four sons.^[15]