The 2023 winner of Miss USA and Miss Teen USA both returned their crowns this week. “Never jeopardize your physical and mental well-being. Our health is our wealth,” said Noelia Voigt, Miss USA.
Serial resignations. The 2023 Miss USA and Miss Teen USA winners returned their crowns this week citing “mental health” reasons, following the resignation of an American beauty pageant manager who denounced a “toxic” work environment for these young people women.
“Lack of respect” and “toxicity”
This new controversy surrounding this competition created in 1952, in the hands of businessman and former president Donald Trump until 2015, started last Friday. The head of social media for the Miss USA Organization, Claudia Michelle, announced her departure in a message on Instagram.
She cites by name the American of Venezuelan origin Noelia Voigt, 24 years old, crowned Miss USA 2023 in September and her compatriot of Indian and Mexican origins, UmaSofia Srivastava, elected Miss Teen USA 2023 at 17 years old.
“I have had the privilege of working closely with Noelia and I have unfortunately noticed an attack on her mental health since our first meeting,” writes Claudia Michelle on her Instagram account.
“I was also at the forefront to witness the lack of respect towards Uma and her family,” she denounces, believing that “the mental health and happiness of Noelia and Uma have been affected. taken a hit” and refusing to “keep silent”.
Claudia Michelle also says “disavow toxicity and intimidation in all its forms in the workplace” by mocking the “unprofessional and inadequate” way in which “current management speaks about the winners”.
“Prioritize your mental health”
As a result, on Monday, Noelia Voigt announced on Instagram to surrender her 2023 title of Miss USA, citing her “mental health”.
“I realize the shock this may represent for many. Never put your physical and mental well-being at risk. Our health is our wealth (…) Prioritize your mental health, defend yourself and defend others by speaking out without ever being afraid of what the future holds for you,” pleads the young woman.
Noelia Voigt is followed on Wednesday by her youngest UmaSofia Srivastava who still announces on Instagram that she has “decided to resign because (her) personal values no longer fully correspond to those of the management of the organization” Miss USA.
The latter assured on the social network “to respect and support Noelia’s decision to leave her functions (because) the well-being of (our) winners has always been a priority”.
The Miss USA competition has been rife with controversy for around ten years, Forbes magazine recalled on Thursday, but this is the first time in seven decades that a winner has resigned for a reason other than a coronation in the Miss Universe competition.
