Days following the resignations of Miss USA 2023 Noelia Voigt and Miss Teen USA 2023 UmaSofia Srivastava from their titles, their mothers have spoken out, alleging that their daughters were ‘ill-treated, abused, and bullied’. Appearing on Good Morning America, Noelia’s mother, Jackeline Voigt, and UmaSofia’s mother, Barbara Srivastava, discussed their daughters’ decisions and called for changes within the Miss USA pageant system.
Both mothers called for Layla Rose to step down as president and for the Miss USA pageant to issue an apology
Barbara emphasized that the issue was not about the prizes or benefits but about how her daughter and Noelia were allegedly mistreated, abused, bullied, and cornered, turning their dream jobs into nightmares.
Barbara claimed that UmaSofia, who gave up her crown on May 8, two days after Noelia, experienced bullying from Miss Teen USA management and missed out on opportunities as a result. She also alleged that the management had monitored and controlled her daughter’s social media account. On the other hand, Jackeline recounted an incident during a Christmas parade that left Noelia stressed and uncomfortable. A man’s inappropriate comment made her daughter feel unsafe, prompting her decision to focus on her mental health and step down on May 6.
Responding to the allegations, the Miss USA organization stated, “We are committed to fostering a healthy, communicative, and supportive environment for all contestants, state titleholders, national titleholders, and staff.”
Noelia had hinted at the incident in her resignation letter, mentioning feeling unsafe at events without proper support and experiencing sexual harassment. Jackeline criticized Miss USA CEO and President Layla Rose’s response to the incident, claiming that the organization failed to address Noelia’s concerns effectively, leading to her daughter feeling upset and unsupported.
Noelia’s resignation influenced UmaSofia’s decision to step down, as she felt compelled to stand up for Noelia and the mental health issues raised in connection with her resignation. Both mothers called for Layla Rose to step down as president and for the Miss USA pageant to issue an apology and address the situation.