Miss Teen USA, Miss Teen USA, resigns after ‘bullying’ in pageant: Source

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by Janet Settember And Dana Kennedy

The beauty pageant scene just got ugly.

At the beginning of the week, Miss USA Noelia Voigt made the shocking announcement that she was resigning from the throne after seven months on the throne, due to mental health challenges.

Voigt (24 years old) is the first title holder in the competition’s 72-year history to step down voluntarily.

On Wednesday, 17-year-old Miss Teen USA Uma Sofia Srivastava – former Miss New Jersey USA – also resigned. saying in a statement That her personal values ​​“are no longer fully aligned with the direction of the organization.”

Insiders tell The Post Voigt and Srivastava have been wearing spiky crowns for months — the iron-clad necklaces forcing them to smile silently despite the “harmful working conditions.”

“This toxic atmosphere is a serious concern,” a source close to the situation told The Washington Post.

“There is an urgent need for intervention at the leadership level.”

This all comes on the heels of Miss USA’s social media director, Claudia Michele, stepping down from her position on May 3. “I feel that the way the current administration speaks about title holders is unprofessional and inappropriate,” Michelle wrote in an Instagram post. I disavow workplace toxicity and bullying of any kind.

“I think Noelia and Oma’s mental health and happiness have had a huge impact, and I can’t stay silent about that,” she added.

An insider who knows the three women told the newspaper that they decided to resign together and timed their resignations strategically.

“The decision was not easy. Noelia and UmaSofia are two very dedicated people who have worked incredibly hard for the competition. The decisions are not made lightly. They have all decided to do it together,” the insider said. “They are afraid to speak out more at this time because of the organisation. They are not They want this to have no lasting harmful effect on their future.

Recently, the alleged harassment and bullying has gotten really bad for Srivastava’s parents, the close source told The Post They refused to allow Miss USA Organization President Layla Rose to speak to their daughter.

“All correspondence had to go through her parents. Her parents meet weekly with the Miss Universe organization to try to change things with Miss USA but nothing has ever been done. There are no changes, nothing,” the close source said.

Earlier this week, concerned fans pointed out on Instagram that the first letter in each sentence of Voigt’s resignation spells out the message: “I am silent.” Sources say this was intentional.

“Noelia wakes up every day nervous about annoying emails [from pageant organizers]: “Don’t do this”, “Don’t do that”, “Remove this post”, as opposed to this post. “You can’t talk to anyone, remember your NDA, and you can’t go here unless we confirm it,” a source close to the situation told The Post. “It’s micromanaged to the nth degree and harassing.”

“Noelia’s contract — as well as her salary — were used against her,” Michelle told The Post. “They were threatening her by saying, ‘If you don’t do Social, I still haven’t seen it yet.

“I deeply appreciate the importance of making decisions that are right for you and your mental health,” Voigt, a Venezuelan-American who was crowned Miss USA in September 2023 after competing in the pageant for several years, wrote in her resignation post.

A source close to The Post claimed that Miss USA president Lily Rose was playing puppet master and secretly publishing under the names Voigt and Srivastra.

In August 2023, Rose, a fashion designer with the Laylah Rose Couture line, acquired the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA licenses under the Miss Universe organization, which were purchased by Thai business mogul Ann Jakavong’s JKN Global Group. In 2022.

“Noelia and UmaSofia have been banned from posting on the Miss USA Instagram page,” the close source told The Post.

“Layla was posting under Noelia’s name and people would think Noelia was posting because she was speaking on her behalf. She just made a post with UmaSofia yesterday saying ‘I support my beauty queen.’” The close source said UmaSofia did not bring it up. “She is trying to be the voice of the girls and does not Girls are even allowed to talk about themselves. It’s so ridiculous.

“Our overarching goal at Miss USA is to celebrate and empower women,” Rose told The Post. “Our participants are making a real difference in this country and around the world.”

“All along, my personal goal as President of this organization has been to inspire women to always create new dreams, have the courage to explore it all, and continue to maintain integrity along the way. I hold myself to the same high standards and take these allegations very seriously. Please be assured that The well-being of all individuals associated with Miss USA is my top priority.

Sources say Voigt’s problems began when pageant organizers promised her an apartment in Manhattan or Los Angeles — in the past, Miss USA and Miss Universe have lived together — but that did not materialize for five months. Eventually they arranged for her to live in Florida.

In October 2023, JKN Global Group, which owns the competition, filed for bankruptcy.

The close source also told The Post that Rose also rejected Voigt’s claims that she was harassed at a Christmas show she attended last year for the organization.

“She was in the car with a man who was harassing her. It became very uncomfortable for her. She told the therapist, who was very dismissive. She said, ‘Well, you’ll have to get used to it because you’re in a public role now,'” the source close to The Washington Post claimed. Post.

The last straw came during Voigt’s final official appearance as Miss USA at the Kentucky Derby on May 5, sources said.

She was allegedly approved to attend but was then told she could not go because her therapist had let go. Voigt went anyway.

Dani Walker, former Miss Montana and pageant coach, Talk about this issue In a YouTube video posted on Wednesday.

“How could we not prioritize mental health among the defending champions in light of what happened to Chesley Crist?” she said, referring to the former Miss USA who jumped to her death from a Manhattan apartment tower in 2022.

“To me, there is no legitimate excuse for Noelia to resign because of her mental health,” Walker said, adding that Rose hired her in 2022 to host a charity gala at New York City Fashion Week.

“Noelia has been competing in beauty pageants for seven years. Imagine achieving that once-in-a-lifetime dream and then walking away from it in such a public way. You only have two months left,” Walker said in the video. “Imagine what she was going through.”

Before Rose took over, Miss USA was the subject of fraud accusations with some contestants suggesting the pageant may have been staged to favor winner Riboni Gabriel.

“Most Miss USA contestants feel strongly that there is favoritism toward Miss Texas USA and we have the receipts to prove it,” Miss Montana Heather Lee O’Keefe said in a statement. Tik Tok Video in October 2022.

Both the Miss Universe Organization and Gabrielle have denied any allegations of fraud.