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The woman who replaced the former Miss USA who resigned claims she was abused in public.
Current Miss USA Savannah Gankiewicz said she has received death threats and hateful messages following the resignation of her predecessor, Noelia Voight.
During his speech, Gankiewicz said the backlash he had received was “heartbreaking.”
“Since winning this title, I have experienced a lot of bullying and harassment. It really hurts my heart,” Gankiewicz said in a video shared on X last week.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to cry, but it was just hard because I want people to know where my heart comes from,” she said. “This is helping the residents of Lahaina and Maui, not only having a platform, but showing young women that sometimes you get bullied and you get hurt but you get up and you keep going and you keep speaking up.”
Ms. Gankiewicz attended a special Miss USA coronation and gala in Waikiki earlier this month, replacing Noelia Voight, who announced her resignation on May 6.
Voight said in a statement on Instagram that he was stepping down from the title to focus on his mental health, but NBC News obtained a copy of his resignation letter, in which he accused the pageant’s CEO of creating a toxic work environment and failing to address a sexual harassment allegation he filed against him.
“There is a toxic work environment within the Miss USA organization that is poorly managed at best and bullying and harassment at worst,” Voight wrote. “This began immediately after she won the title of Miss USA 2023.”
Voight said Miss USA CEO and president Layla Rose failed to communicate, badmouthed her to others in the organization and threatened to take away Voight’s pay “for matters that were never discussed with me.”
Rose released a statement in which she said she takes the allegations seriously and that “the well-being of everyone associated with Miss USA is my top priority.”
Following Voight’s resignation, Miss Teen USA Umasofia Srivastava and Miss USA social media manager Claudia Michelle also resigned.
Gankiewicz will hold the title until August, when the new Miss USA will be chosen.
