Umasofia Srivastava, who was crowned Miss Teen USA 2023, announced her decision Wednesday after “struggling with this decision for months,” two days after Miss USA Noelia Vogt made the same decision. I resigned from my position.
“After careful consideration, my personal values are no longer fully aligned with the direction of the organization, so I have decided to resign,” Srivastava wrote on Instagram.
Srivastava and Miss USA did not respond to requests for comment.
Srivastava, who represents New Jersey, won the award at the annual Miss Teen USA pageant in Reno, Nevada, in September.
Her bio on the Miss Teen USA website describes Srivastava as “the first Mexican-Indian Miss New Jersey Teen USA” and that she “hopes to become an ambassador to the United Nations.” added.
On Monday, after Vogt announced she was resigning from Miss USA to focus on her mental health, pageant fans online noticed that the first letter of the first 11 sentences of Vogt’s statement was spelled: This led to speculation as to the reason for the decision. I’m silent. ”
After Srivastava’s statement, many people showed support for the two women in hundreds of comments posted on Instagram and other social media platforms.
Cindy Provost, director of Miss USA and Miss Teen USA in New Jersey, said on Instagram that she was heartbroken by Srivastava’s decision, adding that the contestants are her top priority.
Fellow Miss USA contestants came out to support Vogt on Wednesday. Miss New Jersey 2023 Darby Chukwudi posted a statement on Instagram saying the majority of members of the Miss USA 2023 class supported Vogt’s decision.
The statement also asked the Miss USA organization to release Vogt from a non-disclosure agreement so she can talk about her experience.
“Our goal is to restore Noelia’s voice,” the statement said. “We want full transparency from contestants in 2024 and beyond.”
Contest organizers have not said much about the two’s resignations. Miss Teen USA responded to Srivastava’s resignation on Instagram, thanking her for her service as Miss Teen USA. The organization said it would soon announce the selection of a new Miss Teen USA, but did not provide further details.
“We respect and support Uma Sophia’s decision to resign from her position,” the group said in a statement. “The health of our titleholders is our top priority.”
Miss USA posted a similar response to Vogt’s comments earlier this week.
Vogt and Srivastava supported each other in their resignations and wished each other well.
“I love you so much, Noelia,” Srivastava wrote. “You are incredibly strong.”
For now, Srivastava writes that she will focus on finishing 11th grade and applying to universities, as well as continuing to run her blog, That’s Fan Behavior.
“Although it was never the way I saw my reign coming to an end, I am excited to continue advocating for education and inclusion,” Srivastava wrote. .
“At the end of the day, I’m really lucky to have had this experience,” Srivastava added. “But I know that even if this is just one chapter, the story of my life will be truly amazing.”
