The Hawaiian took over the title from Noelia Voit.
Savannah Gankiewicz, from Hawaii, was crowned Miss USA 2023 a few days ago after her predecessor stepped down due to mental health reasons. Gankiewicz will hold the title for the remainder of the competition until August this year. During this time, the 28-year-old Gankiewicz said that she has received death threats and hateful messages since winning the crown. NBC News.
“Since receiving this title, I have experienced a lot of bullying and harassment. It really hurts my heart,” Gankiewicz said in a video shared on X (formerly Twitter).
Wiping away tears, she continued, “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to cry, but it just hurts because I want people to know where my heart comes from — to help the people of Lahaina and Maui and to have a platform and to show young women that sometimes you get bullied and it hurts but you keep standing up and you keep going and you keep speaking up.”
The Hawaii native took over the title from Noelia Voigt, who stepped down on May 6. Voigt shared the news in an Instagram post. “I know this may come as a huge shock to many. Please never sacrifice your physical or mental health,” she wrote in the caption. Voigt will be crowned Miss USA in Nevada in 2023 as the 72nd state of the country. According to her statement, she is the first Venezuelan-American woman to be crowned Miss USA.
In particular, according to AFP, the Miss USA pageant has been mired in a number of controversies and scandals in recent years, including multiple allegations that preferential treatment was given to certain contestants.
Though the organization ultimately concluded the allegations were unfounded, former Miss USA winner Krystle Stewart resigned as president. After serving as vice president of the organization, her husband, Max Sebrecht, resigned after a series of sexual harassment accusations from past contestants. Chesley Crist, who was crowned Miss USA in 2019, committed suicide in early 2022.
According to People magazine, in her memoir, she writes about “long-standing insecurities” that resurfaced when she won the title and faced online abuse.
