Mothers of Miss USA and Miss Teen USA speak out against organization

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

THE MOTHERS OF MISS USA AND MISS TEEN USA ARE SPEAKING OUT AGAINST THE MISS UNIVERSE ORGANIZATION – AFTER THEIR DAUGHTERS RESIGNED THEIR TITLES EARLIER THIS MONTH.

MISS USA 2023 NOELIA VOIGT AND MISS TEEN USA 2023 UMASOFIA SRIVASTAVA – BOTH ABRUPTLY STEPPED DOWN FROM THEIR ROLES. VOIGT CITED MENTAL HEALTH REASONS AND SRIVASTAVA SAID HER VALUES NO LONGER ALIGNED WITH THE ORGANIZATION.

THE MOTHERS OF BOTH WOMEN ALLEGE THEIR DAUGHTER’S DREAMS TURNED INTO NIGHTMARES DUE TO TOXIC WORK ENVIRONMENTS – CITING EMOTIONAL ABUSE AND BULLYING.

THE MOTHERS SPOKE ON BEHALF OF THEIR DAUGHTERS TO GOOD MORNING AMERICA – SAYING THEIR DAUGHTERS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO SPEAK DUE TO CONFIDENTIALITY CLAUSES IN THEIR CONTRACTS.

[JACKELINE VOIGT]

“THIS IS NOT WHAT SHE WORKED SO HARD FOR. THE CROWN WEIGHS HEAVY. AND THE MISS UNIVERSE ORGANIZATION NEEDS TO COME OUT AND SPEAK TO US OR APOLOGIZE OR CLEAN THIS MESS.”

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

NOELIA RESIGNED FIRST ON MAY 6TH – ANNOUNCING HER DECISION ON SOCIAL MEDIA – WITH THE FIRST LETTERS OF EACH SENTENCE SPELLING OUT “I AM SILENCED.”

SHE WROTE A LETTER TO THE MISS USA ORGANIZATION STATING “THERE IS A TOXIC WORK ENVIRONMENT WITHIN THE MISS USA ORGANIZATION THAT, AT BEST, IS POOR MANAGEMENT, AT WORST, IS BULLYING AND HARASSMENT. I WAS MADE TO FEEL UNSAFE AT EVENTS WITHOUT AN EFFECTIVE HANDLER AND THIS CULMINATED IN BEING SEXUALLY HARASSED.” 

VOIGHT’S MOTHER TOLD GMA – NOELIA “RECEIVED UNWANTED ADVANCES AT A CHRISTMAS PARTY” – A MAN ALLEGEDLY ASKED HER IF SHE WAS INTO OLD MEN WITH MONEY – MAKING NOELIA VERY UNCOMFORTABLE.

SHE CLAIMED THE MISS USA ORGANIZATION RESPONDED TO THE INCIDENT — STATING THEY COULDN’T PREVENT PEOPLE FROM SAYING THINGS DURING PUBLIC APPEARANCES.

UMASOFIA’S MOTHER SAID – AFTER NOELIA RESIGNED – HER DAUGHTERKNEW SHE NEEDED TO DO THE SAME SAYING SHE WAS BULLIED BY MISS USA MANAGEMENT.

 LAST WEEK, SRIVASTAVA SAID “HER PERSONAL VALUES NO LONGER FULLY ALIGN WITH THE DIRECTION OF THE MISS USA ORGANIZATION.”

THE MISS USA ORGANIZATION SAID IT WOULD SEEK REPLACEMENTS FOR BOTH TITLES – HOWEVER – LAST YEAR’S MISS TEEN USA RUNNER UP -STEPHANIE SKINNER- TURNED DOWN THE OPPORTUNITY TO SUCCEED THE CROWN SAYING SHE’S STUDYING ABROAD IN THAILAND THIS SUMMER.

IN A STATEMENT TO ABC NEWS, THE MISS USA ORGANIZATION SAID “WE ARE COMMITTED TO FOSTERING A HEALTHY, COMMUNICATIVE AND SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL CONTESTANTS, STATE TITLEHOLDERS, NATIONAL TITLEHOLDERS AND STAFF.”

BOTH MOMS SAID YOUNG WOMEN SHOULD RE-EVALUATE THEIR PARTICIPATION IN PAGEANTS AND THEY ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO STAY TRUE TO THEMSELVES AND SPEAK OUT AGAINST MIS-TREATMENT.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M LT.

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