Pageant queens abdicate amid reports of ‘toxic’ management
Sources said that conditions at the organisation were ‘harmful’ and a ‘serious concern’
The world of beauty pageantry is firmly under the spotlight after both Miss USA and Miss Teen USA abdicated their positions amid accusations of unprofessional behaviour, workplace bullying and harassment from management.
Pageant queens Noelia Voigt and UmaSofia Srivastava both announced they would be stepping down from their respective positions in the past week. Both women issued lengthy statements online detailing the decisions.
Ms Voigt (24), the first Venezuelan-American woman to win Miss USA, highlighted the importance of prioritising mental health, while 17-year-old Ms Srivastava said that her personal values “no longer fully align with the direction of the organisation.”
Both announcements came following the resignation of Miss USA social media director Claudia Michelle, who voiced a number of concerns.
In a post on Instagram, Ms Michelle said the decision had not been easy, but that her experiences at the organisation had been “disheartening”.
“I disavow workplace toxicity and bullying of any kind,” she wrote. “I feel the way current management speaks about their titleholders is unprofessional and inappropriate.”
In her own post, 17-year-old Ms Srivastava said that she would remember her time as Miss NJ Teen USA “fondly” but that “I find my values no longer fully align with the direction of the organisation.”
Sources also told the New York Post that the workplace conditions at MUO were “harmful” and a “serious concern”.
Ms Michelle wrote: “I don’t believe in taking sides. I believe in telling the truth. I believe Noelia and Uma’s mental health and happiness has taken a toll and I cannot remain silent about that.”
Ms Michelle claimed that both Ms Voigt and Ms Srivastava had been “threatened” by MUO about sharing personal advocacies on social media due to the organisation’s policies.
Ms Voigt in particular is a fervent advocate for mental health and a champion for children’s charity Smile Train, which she highlighted in her resignation post.
“Every time someone asked me what my favourite part of being Miss USA was, I would always share with them how much I loved getting to work with Smile Train, being a fervent advocate for anti-bullying, dating violence awareness and prevention, immigration rights and reform,” she wrote.
“Deep down, I know that this is just the beginning of a new chapter for me, and my hope is that I continue to inspire others to remain steadfast, prioritise your mental health, advocate for yourself and others by using your voice and never be afraid of what the future holds, even if it feels uncertain.”
Ms Michelle claimed that the power of the titleholders to use their social media platforms to champion causes had been “diminished” by oversight from the MUO management.
Earlier this week, fans of Ms Voigt flagged that the first letter in each sentence of her resignation spelt out a message: “I AM SILENCED.” Sources told the New York Post that this hidden message was intentional.
On Wednesday, several 2023 state titleholders shared a joint statement on social media, saying the majority of the Miss USA class of 2023 supports Ms Voigt’s decision to resign.
The post also requested that MUO release her from the confidentiality clause of her contract in perpetuity, “so that she is free to speak on her experiences and time as Miss USA.”
In her post, Ms Michelle claimed to have worked unpaid for the first two months, and said that multiple decisions were taken by higher-ups instead of allowing her control and agency in her role as Miss USA social media director.
“The only thing I can truly take credit for is the in-person content I was able to capture of Noelia and Uma during events. All pages blocked, comments that were deleted, and story reposts that were not branded right, were not done by myself or under my guidance,” she wrote.
Ms Michelle said she was left “shocked and disappointed” that several former assistant national directors at MUO were fired “for reasons still undisclosed to me”.
The Independent has reached out to the Miss Universe Organization for comment on Ms Michelle’s claims.
The resignations and accusations of the past week follow previous accusations that MUO had rigged competitions.
In 2023, the organisation denied allegations about rigging the Miss Universe competition, days after former Miss USA R’Bonney Gabriel won.
The company issued a statement at the time after multiple online users claimed that the competition favoured Miss USA over the other contestants.
“The allegations re: rigging of Miss Universe are false,” Amy Emmerich, the then-CEO of MUO said. “People saying that it’s ‘suspect’ that JKN Global Group owns both Miss Universe and Miss USA aren’t familiar with the history of the organisations.
“One of the top four accounting firms in the United States handled the results and verified the process,” Ms Emmerich stated.
(© The Independent)
“I believe Noelia and Uma’s mental health and happiness has taken a toll and I cannot remain silent about that”