In the history of the Miss USA organization, established in 1952, no titleholder has ever stepped down. However, earlier this month, both Miss USA 2023 Noelia Voigt and Miss Teen USA 2023 UmaSofia Strivastava relinquished their titles, with just three months remaining to their reign. They were crowned seven months ago, in late September and early October 2023.
LOOK: Miss USA and Miss Teen USA Announce Their Resignation
On Monday, May 6, Miss USA 2023 Noelia Voigt resigned. In a detailed Instagram post, the 24-year-old announced she was stepping down to prioritize her mental health. The first sentence of the statement reads: "In life, I strongly value the importance of making decisions that feel best for you and your mental health."
Just two days later, on May 8, Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Strivastava followed suit. An excerpt from her official resignation letter reads: "I’ve decided to resign as I find that my personal values no longer fully align with the direction of the organization."
READ: Former Miss USA Noelia Voigt Accuses Miss USA CEO of Creating a “Toxic Work Environment"
By May 10, NBC News obtained parts of a more critical version of Noelia Voigt’s resignation letter. She accused Miss USA CEO Laylah Rose of fostering a "toxic work environment.” Noelia stated, "It’s incredibly jarring to be trying to do my job and constantly be threatened with disciplinary action, including taking away my salary, for things that were never discussed with me and, if it related to a public-facing post for example, were causing no issue other than not meeting her personal preference."
Noelia also divulged that the CEO did nothing to address an incident of sexual harassment. At a Christmas event in Florida, Sofia shared that she was isolated in a car with a man who made inappropriate advances to her. When she reported the incident,
Laylah Rose allegedly gave her a simplistic response, saying that such situations are part of the job. She was told: “We cannot prevent people saying things to you at public appearances; it is, unfortunately, part of the role you’re in as a public figure.”
In addition,Noelia also accused Laylah Rose of badmouthing her to colleagues, claiming the CEO had wished that she "would get hit in the face by a baseball" at a public event.
As a result of the alleged mistreatment by the organization, Noelia opened up about how she is now grappling with anxiety. And yet, the organization has shown no support or concern for her mental health, so much so that the CEO would call her “‘mentally ill’ in a derogatory way.” She shared, "I am now diagnosed with anxiety and have to take two medications daily to manage the symptoms due to constantly being on edge, worrying about what Laylah will pop up with and choose to harass me about daily."
Following these revelations, netizens began to speculate that Sofia’s initial post contained a hidden message, with one comment noting that the first letter of each sentence seemed to spell out "I am silenced."
Mothers of the Beauty Queens Speak on Behalf of Their Daughters
On Tuesday, May 14, the mothers of the former beauty queens appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America to stand up for their daughters.
Jackeline Voigt, mother of Noelia Voigt, demanded an apology from the Miss Universe Organization, the parent company of Miss USA, stating her daughter had been "ill-treated, abused, bullied, and cornered." Barbara Srivastava, mother of UmaSofia Srivastava, echoed similar sentiments, saying their daughters would continue to be silenced unless the Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) were lifted.
A New Miss USA is Crowned
Amidst the ensuing turmoil, the Miss Universe Organization crowned a new Miss USA. On Thursday, May 16, Savannah Gankiewicz of Hawaii was named Miss USA 2023 in a special coronation ceremony in Waikiki, Hawaii, just 10 days after Noelia stepped down.
As for the Miss Teen USA title, no successor has been named. The runner-up, Stephanie Skinner, reportedly declined the offer to assume the title.
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