Two Miss USA Winners And An Executive Resign This Week ...

11 days ago

Forbes

Topline

The reigning Miss USA and Miss Teen USA handed back their crowns this week, joining an executive who resigned from the pageant organization over alleged bullying and a toxic workplace and sparking the latest controversy for the pageant in recent years.

The organization’s social media director resigned noting she opposed “workplace toxicity and ... [+] bullying of any kind”

Getty Images Key Facts

UmaSofia Srivastava, who was named Miss Teen USA in November, wrote on Instagram Wednesday she would resign from the role “months after grappling with the decision,” noting she found her “personal values no longer fully align with the direction of the organization,” though she did not elaborate.

Noelia Voigt—crowned Miss USA in September—announced her resignation Monday, saying she “strongly [valued] the importance of making decisions that feel best for you and your mental health.”

Voigt’s resignation drew speculation from Instagram users, who suggested Voigt’s statement revealed a hidden message about a non-disclosure agreement because the first letters of the first 11 sentences spell out “I am silenced.”

Several Miss USA contestants from last year’s competition issued a joint statement on social media, saying a “majority” of competitors supported Voigt’s decision to resign while calling on the Miss USA Organization to release Voigt from the “confidentiality NDA clause of her contract” so she would be “free to speak on her experiences and time” in the role.

The Miss USA Organization responded to Voigt and Srivastava's resignations with the same statement, saying the “well-being of our titleholders is a top priority” while adding it is “reviewing plans for the transition of responsibilities to a successor” for both roles.

Neither Srivastava, Voigt nor the Miss USA Organization immediately responded to requests for comment.

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Surprising Fact

Claudia Michelle, the Miss USA Organization’s social media director, announced Saturday she would step down from her role. Michelle said she had “unfortunately seen a decline” in Voigt’s mental health while her ability to “share her story and her platform [has]

been diminished.” Michelle claimed she also witnessed “disrespect” toward Srivastava and her family. Michelle alleges the “way current management speaks about their titleholders is unprofessional and inappropriate,” adding, “I disavow workplace toxicity and bullying of any kind.”

Crucial Quote

Miss USA CEO and president Laylah Rose told USA Today Wednesday her goal “has been to inspire women to always create new dreams, have the courage to explore it all and continue to preserve integrity along the way,” adding, “I hold myself to these same high standards and I take these allegations seriously.” Rose said the “well-being of all individuals associated with Miss USA is my top priority.”

Key Background

The resignations are the latest controversy for the Miss USA Organization over the last decade. In 2022, several contestants alleged the organization gave R’Bonney Gabriel—the first Filipino American to win the title—preferential treatment during the competition. The Miss Universe Organization suspended Miss USA president Crystle Stewart after launching an investigation into the claims, though they later found the allegations were false. Sheena Monnin, 2012 Miss Pennsylvania, resigned from her role after alleging the 2012 Miss USA pageant was rigged in favor of Olivia Culpo. Monnin was later ordered to pay the pageant $5 million for defamation after Miss USA denied the competition was rigged.

Tangent

Miss America, another nationwide pageant, has also faced controversy. In 2017, several top executives—including CEO Sam Haskell and COO Josh Randle, among others–-resigned after a series of internal emails circulated online. Emails among executives and employees used vulgar and offensive language to describe contestants, including one email that called 2013 Miss America Mallory Hagan “fat and gross.”