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A couple of days after Noelia Voigt relinquished her Miss USA 2023 crown and title via Instagram citing mental health reasons, Miss Teen USA 2023, UmaSofia Srivastava resigned her title on May 8 on the ground that her “personal values no longer fully align with the direction of the organization.”
"After months of grappling with the decision, I have made the choice to resign from the title of Miss Teen USA 2023. I am grateful for all the support from my family, my state directors, my sister queens, and the fans who have cheered me on since I won my state title," Srivastava wrote on Instagram as part of her lengthy statement.
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In the wake of this, Miss USA’s current President and CEO Laylah Rose - to whom ownership was recently transferred - told USA Today on Wednesday that she was looking into the matter and “assured that the well-being of all individuals associated with Miss USA is my top priority.”
All you need to know about the ownership of Miss USA
In August 2023, Laylah Rose succeeded Crystle Stewart (the former national director of the pageant) as the head of the Miss USA and became its new President and CEO.
As per WWD, Rose is the founder of VVV Global Enterprise and VIP Pageantry Television Network. She also owns the apparel brand, Layla Rose Couture, and is a member of the U.S. National Committee for U.N. Women, an organization dedicated to advocating for gender equality.
Notably, in August 2022, Thai entrepreneur Anne Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip’s JKN Global Group bought Miss USA’s parent company Miss Universe Organization from the talent management company WME/ IMG, which had been in charge since 2015.
Before that, the pageant was owned by former U.S. President Donald Trump from 1996 to 2015.
Exploring the latest departures from the Miss USA organization
On Wednesday, Miss Teen USA 2023 UmaSofia Srivastava resigned her crown and title via a social media post. She wrote that she made the “grappling decision” after “careful consideration,” and explained that her “personal values” no longer fully aligned with that of the organization.
UmaSofia thanked her family, fans, state directors, and sister queens for cheering her since her victory at the state level of Miss NJ Teen USA, and shared her gratitude to be able to represent her state “as a first generation, Mexican-Indian American at the national level,” calling the experience “fulfilling in itself.”
Srivastava further mentioned that despite resigning, she will continue with her duties. She wrote,
“I will continue my relentless advocacy for education and acceptance, with my multi-lingual children’s book The White Jaguar and with the organizations I have had the privilege to work with long before I started competing, namely The Lotus Petal Foundation and the Bridge of Books Foundation.”
The teenager explained that rather than winning the pageant, it was working with the “incredible nonprofits” and impacting lives everywhere that has led to her legacy.
She added that she was looking forward to finishing high school and starting her college application process while working alongside the National Honor Society. She also announced a new writing project on the That’s Fan Behavior blog.
“Thank you to those who support me for who I am and have always been, not for who I’ve momentarily become. It has been a privilege,” read the last lines of UmaSofia's post.
Following her announcement, Noelia Voigt, who resigned her Miss USA 2023 title on May 6 wrote under the teenager’s post, “I LOVE YOU! So proud of you my angel.”
Voigt thanked her “darling beloved” UmaSofia in her own Instagram post on Monday, in which she announced stepping down from the title to focus on her mental well-being.
Meanwhile, before Noelia Voigt and UmaSofia Srivastava, last Friday (May 3), Claudia Michelle, the social media director of Miss USA took to her Instagram to announce her resignation, mentioning how she believed in “telling the truth” rather than “taking sides.”
She explained her own grievances with the organization and also added:
“I have had the privilege of getting to work with Noelia closely and have unfortunately seen a decline in her mental health since we first met. I feel like her ability to share her story and her platform have been diminished. I have firsthand seen the disrespect towards Uma and her family.”
Michelle further continued by saying:
“I feel the way current management speaks about their titleholders is unprofessional and inappropriate. I disavow workplace toxicity and bullying of any kind… I believe Noelia and Uma’s mental health and happiness have taken a toll and I cannot remain silent about that.”
In the wake of Voigt’s departure, Miss USA wrote on Facebook how they “respect and support” her decision, while also adding that “the organization is currently reviewing plans for the transition of responsibilities to a successor…”
Likewise, on Wednesday, following UmaSofia’s exit, Laylah Rose told USA Today that all the “allegations” were being taken “seriously,” and assured that the organization's role continues to be celebrating, empowering, and inspiring women to “create new dreams, have the courage to explore it all, and continue to preserve integrity along the way.”
The President and CEO of Miss USA also mentioned that the welfare of all participants, winners, and other associates was her “top priority.” Earlier, she also told the media outlet that the brand is “committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment."
