Over the course of two days, the reigning Miss USA and Miss Teen USA each surrendered their titles, citing mental health and personal values.
noelia voigt She vacated the Miss USA crown on May 6, explaining her decision in a statement via Instagram.
“In life, I strongly believe in the importance of making decisions that you feel are best for you and your mental health,” she wrote. “As individuals, we grow by experiencing different things in life, which leads us to learn more about ourselves.”
Her resignation letter, obtained by NBC News, detailed her experiences within the organization since winning the crown in 2023.
“There is a toxic work environment within the Miss USA organization, with poor management at best and bullying and harassment at worst,” Vogt, 24, wrote. “This started right after I won the Miss USA 2023 title.”
48 hours later, Just Miss Teen USA Uma Sophia Srivastava He resigned on May 8, writing on Instagram: “After careful consideration, I have determined that my personal values are no longer fully aligned with the direction of the organization, and I have decided to resign.” .
The fallout from Vogt and Srivastava’s decisions continued at Miss Colorado. ariana remus That Friday, I resigned in solidarity with my social media manager. claudia michel He has also submitted his resignation.
Keep reading to find out why the Miss Universe organization is enduring this wave of resignations and how it’s responding.
Why Miss USA and Miss Teen USA resigned
In an Instagram post, Vogt urged fans to “never put your physical or mental health at risk.”
Fans were quick to point out that the first letter of every sentence in her statement spelled out “I am silent.” Vogt claimed in the letter that she was the CEO and president of the organization. Leila Rose Created a toxic work environment by failing to take allegations of sexual harassment seriously.
Vogt detailed the incident, claiming that at a Christmas event in Florida, she was left alone in a car with a man who “made several inappropriate comments to me about wanting to have a relationship with me.” did.
Vogt said Rose responded by saying, “You can’t prevent people from saying things to you in public. Unfortunately, that’s part of your role as a public figure.”
Vogt also accused Rose of badmouthing her, calling her difficult to work with and calling her “mentally ill.” Rose said she said she hoped Vogt would be hit by the baseball when she threw out the first pitch at the game.
Vogt has since been diagnosed with anxiety and is taking medication to treat it. She added that she also experienced a flare-up of her pre-existing medical conditions, and she experienced “heart palpitations, whole-body tremors, loss of appetite, unintentional weight loss, lack of sleep, hair loss, etc.”
“Every statement you have ever made about the morals and integrity of MUO is in direct contradiction to what is happening within the U.S. organization,” she said in the letter.
Srivastava’s resignation came just two days later, but she wrote that she had agonized over the decision for months.
“I would like to thank my family, the state board, my sister Queen, and all the fans who have cheered me on since I won the state title for all their support,” her statement reads. . “I always look back fondly on my days as Miss New Jersey Teen USA. As a first-generation Mexican-Indian American, the experience of representing my state on a national level was fulfilling in itself. .”
Citing the response to the children’s book, Srivastava added that she will continue her campaign for education and acceptance. white jaguar.
mothers speak out
Vogt and Srivastava’s mother Good morning, America Tuesday, May 14th they raised their voices On behalf of my daughters, who are bound by non-disclosure agreements.
“I want to make [it] Obviously, the question is not about what they can get, the prize, but about how they are mistreated, mistreated, bullied and cornered. ” Barbara Srivastava Said. “Their dream job became a nightmare.”
Noelia’s mother Jackelyn Vogtfurther elaborates on the events of the Christmas event written by her daughter, saying, “I saw Noelia was so stressed out and I said, “What happened?” and she said, “Mom, I got in the car.” Get in the car,’ he said. When she got in the car, she said, “What’s wrong?”because i know [a man] I said something but I couldn’t hear it. [The man] To Noelia: “Do you like old things?” [men] With money? ‘And made Noelia very, very uncomfortable. ”
Jackelyn wrote in a comment on her daughter’s Instagram, “We watched how your personality changed and how your light went out. It broke our hearts. We are so happy to be you again.”
Miss USA Organization Response
Miss USA did not address the specific allegations, but in a statement to ABC News said, “We are committed to a healthy, communicative, and cooperative environment for all contestants, state title holders, national title holders, and staff.” We are committed to promoting a safe environment.”
Rose issued a statement to NBC, stressing that “the well-being of everyone associated with Miss USA is my top priority.”
From the runway to the playroom, many famous supermodels are learning to balance their careers with raising young children at home. Gigi Hadid became a mother in September 2020, welcoming her daughter Kai with her then-partner Zayn Malik. (Hadid and Malik dated on and off starting in 2015 before breaking up for good.) […]
“My personal goal as head of this organization is to inspire women to always create new dreams, to give them the courage to explore everything, and to stay true to themselves in the process.” “We hold ourselves to standards and take these allegations seriously,” she said.
The Miss USA organization also shared two nearly identical posts on its social media channels, thanking Noelia and Uma Sophia and wishing them the best.
Leila Rose and the Miss USA organization could not be reached for comment.
Celebrities offer support
Noelia and Uma Sophia have received an outpouring of support from the celebrity world, including: The Valley Star Nia Sanchezwas crowned Miss USA in 2014.
“Let’s support our queen @noeliavoigt,” Sanchez, 34, posted on Instagram on Monday, May 6. I can only imagine what is going on to get to the point where she has to resign from Miss USA. Sending lots of love to our Latin Queen and wishing her much luck in her next endeavors. ”
big brother 24 winner Taylor Hale jumped on Noelia’s Instagram comment, writing, “Life is so much bigger than a crown. It’s just the beginning, love! I’m so proud of you for putting yourself first.”
The pair also received a ton of comments from others in the pageant community, including actresses and models. olivia jordanwas crowned Miss USA in 2015.
“Sending you lots of love. If you find a way to tell your story, I’m always happy to hear it,” she wrote to Uma Sophia.
Miss Teen USA 2022 Fallon Mehdi Adding, “Sweet Uma, I’m so proud of you and your strength. This is just the beginning for Lovebug!! I’m by your side and will always be with you.”
Noelia and Uma Sophia also expressed their support by commenting on each other’s posts.
