Pageant harassment claims
Mothers Speak Out After Miss USA and Miss Teen USA Resignations
Following the surprising decisions of former Miss USA Noelia Voigt and Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava to relinquish their pageant titles, their mothers are stepping forward to speak on their behalf. Barbara Srivastava and Jackeline Voigt, in a joint appearance on Good Morning America, revealed that their daughters are still bound by non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) with the Miss USA organization.
Barbara Srivastava expressed, “The job of their dreams turned out to be a nightmare.” She continued, “We could not continue this charade. The girls decided to step down and give (up) their dream of a lifetime — a crown, a national title. Why would two girls decide to give that up?”
This marks the first time the mothers have publicly addressed the situation, which caused upheaval in the pageant world last week. Both resignations were unprecedented in Miss USA and Miss Teen USA history.
On Instagram, UmaSofia Srivastava mentioned that her values no longer aligned with those of the organization, while Noelia Voigt cited mental health concerns, though her statement appeared cryptic, spelling out “I am silenced” in the first 11 sentences.
Jackeline Voigt declined to confirm whether the hidden message was intentional but emphasized that her daughter feels silenced and will remain so if the NDA isn’t lifted.
Voigt’s resignation letter, obtained and published by CNN, detailed several allegations against Miss USA CEO Laylah Rose, including a toxic work environment and bullying. Voigt claimed she was left alone in a car with a stranger at a parade in Sarasota, Florida, where she was sexually harassed due to inadequate travel accommodations and handling.
Barbara Srivastava witnessed her daughter’s distress after the incident in Sarasota. She recalled, “I saw Noelia so stressed out, and I said, ‘What happened?’ and she said, ‘Mom, get in the car.’ He told Noelia, ‘Are you into old men with money?’ and made Noelia very, very uncomfortable.”
Rose’s response to the incident was unsatisfactory, according to Jackeline Voigt. In her resignation letter, Voigt stated that Rose claimed such incidents were unavoidable in the role.
The mothers allege that during their daughters’ reign, they were subjected to mistreatment, abuse, bullying, and coercion.
Jackeline called for the Miss Universe Organization, which owns Miss USA, to address or apologize for the situation. However, the parent organization, owned by JKN Global Group, has remained silent.
The Miss USA and Miss Universe Organization did not respond to requests for comment. Savannah Gankiewicz from Hawaii, the Miss USA runner-up, will be crowned in a ceremony on Wednesday. However, Miss Teen USA remains vacant, as New York’s Stephanie Skinner, the 2023 runner-up, declined the title. CNN reached out to the second runner-up, Miss Pennsylvania Teen Maggie Ross, but no decision has been announced.
Jackeline warned prospective pageant contestants against getting involved with Miss USA, stating, “Look at what happened to Noelia and UmaSofia. Right now, it’s not the right time to participate. We just don’t want these families and these girls to go through what we’re going through.”
