MISS USA AND MISS TEEN USA BOTH STEP DOWN

In just one week, both Miss USA and Miss Teen USA have stepped down. This was the first time in the history of both pageants that this happened.

24-year-old Miss USA Noelia Voigt said in her resignation letter that the “toxic work environment” within the Miss USA Organisation led to her resignation. She said it has affected both her physical and mental health.

Just days before it was made public that she had voluntarily stepped down only three months before the end of her reign, Voigt posted a very cryptic Instagram post: “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.”

17-year-old Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava also posted on Instagram just a few days before she resigned, but her post was less cryptic and straight to the point: “My personal values no longer fully align with the direction of the organisation.”

The Miss USA Organisation responded to the double resignations by saying that it considered the well-being of its titleholders a “top priority” and that it would be announcing a successor soon.

Image credit: Los Angeles Times