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Miss USA Olivia Jordan Didn’t “For One Second” Worry Pageant Would Be Canceled Amid Donald Trump Drama

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Miss USA Olivia Jordan had her eye on the pageant crown from the moment she stepped on the stage in Baton Rouge, La., haters — and Donald Trump — be damned. In a new interview with HuffPost Live, actress and model Jordan, 26, explained that she and her 50 fellow contestants weren’t very aware of the drama that resulted in the event getting axed from NBC’s airwaves.

Related: PHOTOS: Miss USA 2015 bikini bodies

“It was disappointing. We had been looking forward [to it being televised] but that wasn’t the reason we were there,” Jordan (formerly Miss Oklahoma) told HuffPost Live on Tuesday. “No girl was there just to be on TV. . . Ultimately you want the crown and to be a representative of the Miss USA Organization. It’s not about the television; we were rolling with the punches.”

Olivia Jordan
Olivia Jordan

In the tense 72 hours between NBC firing pageant owner Donald Trump, 69, and Reelz agreeing to air the show, Jordan wasn’t “for a second” worried the contest would be canceled. “I’m in the entertainment field, and I know the ebbs and flows that come with it,” Jordan said. “I was on a pilot that didn’t get picked up, one that was moved to another network that got recast . . . stuff happens. You just have to roll with it and not get too stressed and invested in what was going on behind the scenes.”

Related: PHOTOS: Demanding stars

That said, Jordan understands the decision NBC had to make in canning Trump for his comments about Mexico in order to protect their brand. “Ultimately it is a business opportunity, and Miss Universe is a business. We’re not upset with NBC — they can make the choices they want to make,” Jordan explained. “We were grateful to Reelz — they came to our rescue.”

Related: PHOTOS: Stars who have been fired

Have a question you’d like to ask a celebrity? Check out who will be appearing on HuffPost Live and submit your question to be asked live on-air!

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