Noelia Voigt (L) and UmaSofia Srivastava (R) attend a charity event in New York City on May 8, the week they step down as Miss USA and Miss Teen USA.
Rob Kim/Getty Images for Smile Train
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Noelia Voigt (L) and UmaSofia Srivastava (R) attend a charity event in New York City on May 8, the week they step down as Miss USA and Miss Teen USA.
Rob Kim/Getty Images for Smile Train
Days after a pair of resignations rocked the pageant world, organizers have found a successor for Miss USA but appear to be struggling to do the same for Miss Teen USA.
Miss USA Noelia Voigt and Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava, who were both crowned in 2023, announced their early departures last week, two days apart.
Srivastava said her “personal values are no longer fully aligned with the direction of the organization,” while Voigt cited mental health reasons in a statement whose first letters in each sentence read: “I AM SILENCED.”
A longer resignation letter from Voigt, obtained by the New York Times And NBC Newsaccuses the Miss USA Organization of “a toxic work environment… that amounts to poor management at best and bullying and intimidation at worst.”
Social media director Claudia Michelle also resigned just before the two, denying “workplace toxicity and bullying” in a public statement of her own, noting she was not bound by a non-disclosure agreement.
Ms. Colorado Arianna Lemus resigned in solidarity On Friday, she wrote that the voices of Voigt and Srivastava have been “silenced by the constraints of a contract that undermines their rights and dignity,” and called for urgent reforms within Miss USA.
The many deviations and criticisms have once again focused attention on the organization, raising questions about the treatment of the two largest rights holders and the practices in general.
The organization wished Voigt and Srivastava well in public Instagram posts but did not respond to NPR's requests for comment, even as fallout from their firing continues.
In the latest twist, the runner-up at last year's Miss Teen USA competition says she has turned down the offer to succeed Srivastava.
Miss New York Teen USA Stephanie Skinner, a student at UPenn, wrote on Instagram this week that she had already committed to living in Thailand this summer for a “global research career opportunity.”
The 19-year-old acknowledged that turning down the national title was a difficult decision, especially since she had been working toward it since she was 12. But she also said she believes this is the right move, citing the circumstances that led to it.
'Although I don't know exactly what Noelia and Uma went through [sic] If they want to resign, I send them immense love and support,” she wrote. “What I do know is that my core values are integrity, honor and kindness, and most importantly, I will always stand for the empowerment of women. I believe we all deserve the power to use our voices.”
Skinner, whose term expires at the end of June, doubled down in one interview with People on Tuesday: “I believe one thing I will never give up is my character.”
The new Miss USA will be crowned on Wednesday
Meanwhile, organizers are preparing for the inauguration of the new Miss USA 2023, Miss Hawaii Savannah Gankiewicz.
She announced on Friday that Gankiewicz, last year's runner-up, will be crowned in a ceremony in her home state on Wednesday.
“Her dedication to empowering women through self-love and self-confidence is inspiring, and we look forward to her impactful reign as Miss USA,” Laylah Rose, CEO and president of the Miss USA Organization, said in a statement.
Gankiewicz – of Filipino, Polish and Vietnamese descent – is a model, entrepreneur and program director for What makes you feel beautifula nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering women and girls based in Maui, where she was born and raised.
In a Instagram post Reacting to the news, Gankiewicz said she hopes to use her short time as Miss USA to “highlight and focus on rebuilding Lahaina on my island of Maui,” which was destroyed by a series of wildfires last August.
She said her decision to accept the crown was not taken lightly.
“I stand with Noelia and admire her strength to step down and prioritize her mental health,” she wrote. “Noelia, it was the honor of a lifetime to share the stage with you at your crowning ceremony and I wish you all the best in your next chapter.”
Questions remain about the August election
Many Miss USA 2023 titleholders, including the now former Miss Colorado, have expressed public support for Voigt by sharing a post Instagram statement asking the organization to release her from the confidentiality clause of her contract “so that she is free to speak about her experiences and time as Miss USA.”
The statement, which says it has the support of the majority of members of the Class of 2023, also calls for “full transparency for participants in the Class of 2024 and beyond.”
Gankiewicz — who did not share that statement on her Instagram page — addressed her “fellow Miss USA sisters” in a separate statementand writes, “I believe it is critical that we stand united for the future of the organization and the incoming class of 2024 and beyond.”
States have already started crowning their respective title holders for 2024, a process expected to continue until early July.
The winners from all 50 states and Washington, D.C., will compete at the Miss USA pageant in Los Angeles from July 27 to August 4. The Miss Teen USA pageant will be held on August 1.
The Miss USA competition will be broadcast live on the CW Network announced at the end of April that it had entered into an “exclusive multi-year broadcast partnership” with both the adult and teen versions of the pageant for the next three years.
The 2023 Miss USA telecast was also said to be the #1 new special of the year, with over 1.1 million total viewers watching Voigt win the crown.
But the future of the partnership, which was touted by executives just weeks ago, is suddenly unclear.
“In light of last week's events, The CW Network is evaluating its relationship with both pageants,” the network said. told USA today in a statement Monday. NPR has contacted the CW for more information.
Miss USA nodded to the controversy in her statement announcing Gankiewicz last week, as backlash inside and outside the organization continued to grow.
It said: “It is important to remember that each individual involved in such high-profile events is navigating their own personal journey.”
“We are committed to fostering a healthy, communicative and supportive environment for all contestants, state titleholders, national titleholders and staff involved with the Miss USA organization, it is our mission,” it continued. “We ask that community, empathy and kindness be restored.”
