Summary

Miss USA winner Noelia Voigt and Miss Teen USA winner UmaSophia Srivastava unexpectedly stepped down from their roles, citing concerns about the organization's culture and their mental health. Voigt accused the organization of fostering a toxic work environment, bullying, and harassment. Their resignations were coordinated with another prominent figure, Claudia Michelle, who also quit, expressing support for their decisions. Miss Colorado 2023 Arianna Lemus resigned in solidarity, criticizing the exploitative contracts in pageants. Miss Universe, which owns both pageants, released statements respecting the winners' choices. Now, efforts are underway to appoint new titleholders, raising questions about the future of Miss USA and its organizational practices.

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For those who read...

Miss USA winner Noelia Voigt and Miss Teen USA winner UmaSophia Srivastava announced they would be stepping down from their roles two days apart last week, only three months before both women’s reigns were scheduled to end. Both women cited concerns with organization culture and their personal mental health struggles while announcing their resignations. Since the founding of the Miss USA organization, no winner has ever voluntarily stepped down.

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In a longer resignation letter from Voigt obtained by NBC News and the New York Times, the former Miss USA accused the organization of a toxic work environment, bullying, and harassment.

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The two women have received mixed responses to their departures from the organization. One prominent Miss USA figure, social media director Claudia Michelle, also announced her resignation last week. According to the New York Post, the three women made the decision to quit together and coordinated their resignation announcements. In an Instagram post, Michelle said she felt Voigt and Srivastava have both been mistreated during their involvement in the pageant and that she supports both women’s decision to focus on what is best for their personal well-being.

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Miss Colorado 2023 Arianna Lemus also stepped down in solidarity with the other two women. In her resignation announcement, Lemus said she supported both of her fellow competitors in their decision to step down, and that pageants such as Miss USA and Miss Teen USA have a disturbing pattern of constraining competitors through strict and exploitative contracts.

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In two similar statements released last week by Miss Universe, the organization that owns both Miss USA and Miss Teen USA, organization officials said they respect the winners' choices to step down and are focused on all competitors' well-being. 

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Organizers of the pageants are currently working to appoint a new Miss USA 2023 and a Miss Teen USA 2023. Miss Hawaii 2023 Savannah Gankiewicz, last year’s runner-up, will be crowned in a ceremony later today. In terms of Miss Teen USA, Miss New York Teen 2023 Stephanie Skinner has declined the offer to succeed Srivastava. With an uncertain future, and a history of missteps, this new update in the latest of Miss USA calls into question the future of the organization.

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