Miss USA Noelia Voigt (left) and Miss Teen USA Umasofia Srivastava
new york:
The pageant’s parent organization has come under intense scrutiny after the incumbent Miss USA and Miss Teen USA resigned within days of each other, with young women in particular citing mental health and differences in values. There is.
The two claim that staff members of the Miss USA organization, which was founded in 1952 and was once owned by Donald Trump, resigned due to a “toxic workplace” and that two title holders were mistreated. He resigned a few days later.
Claudia Michelle, Miss USA’s social media director, resigned on May 3, writing in an Instagram post that she worked for two months without pay, was not properly staffed, and that management had decided not to honor the award winner. He said he believed he was being disrespectful.
Michelle had worked closely with Miss USA Noelia Vogt, a 24-year-old Venezuelan-American who was crowned in September, but when she resigned on Monday, she said she was experiencing a “deterioration in her mental health.” Mr. Vogt mentioned the problem in . .
Regarding Miss Teen USA UmaSophia Srivastava, 17, Michelle said, “I saw firsthand the disrespect towards Uma and her family.”
“I deny any toxic behavior or bullying of any kind in the workplace,” Michelle wrote, accusing management of what she felt was “unprofessional and inappropriate” for speaking to Vogt and Srivastava. did.
Vogt, a former lawmaker from western Utah, announced his intention to resign in a post on his Instagram, saying, “We must never sacrifice our physical and mental health. Our health is our wealth.” Ta.
She called her time as Miss USA “incredibly rewarding,” highlighting her philanthropy and being the first Venezuelan-American to win the title.
But she also urges others to “stay strong, prioritize your mental health, use your voice to advocate for yourself and others, and never be afraid of what the future holds.” I would like to encourage this to not happen.”
Internet sleuths have even pointed out what they believe to be encrypted messages. The first letter of each sentence in Vogt’s statement spells out “I am silent.”
Srivastava, a self-described “first-generation Mexican-Indian American” from New Jersey, announced Wednesday that he is relinquishing the crown because his “personal values are no longer fully aligned with the direction of the organization.”
In response, the Miss USA organization said, “We respect and support Noelia’s decision to step down from her duties. The well-being of the titleholder is our top priority.”
Miss Teen USA also issued a similarly worded statement about Srivastava.
Miss USA controversy
The Miss USA pageant has been the subject of a number of controversies and scandals in recent years, with multiple allegations of preferential treatment being given to certain contestants, according to media reports.
Miss USA later found these claims to be unfounded, but Miss USA president and former titleholder Krystle Stewart resigned.
Her husband, Max Sebrecht, who was vice president of the organization, resigned amid allegations of sexual harassment by past contestants.
Vogt’s resignation marks the first time since the pageant’s inception that a Miss USA title holder has resigned from the position for reasons other than the Miss Universe crown, which is linked to Miss Universe.
Chesley Christ, who was crowned Miss USA in 2019, died by suicide in early 2022.
In her memoir, published posthumously last month and excerpted in People magazine, she writes about “long-standing insecurities” that earned her the title and resurfaced after suffering online abuse.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
