Miss USA pageant under scrutiny as two winners step down

NEW YORK

The resignations of the reigning Miss USA and Miss Teen USA in the space of a few days have put the pageants' parent organization under the microscope, especially as the young women cited mental health and differences in values as their reasons.

The pair stepped down just days after an employee of the Miss USA organization, which was created in 1952 and owned for a time by Donald Trump, quit, citing "workplace toxicity" and claiming the two titleholders were mistreated.

Claudia Michelle, Miss USA's social media director, resigned on May 3, saying in an Instagram post that she had worked without compensation for two months, was not given proper staff, and believed management disrespected the winners.

Michelle said she had worked closely with Miss USA Noelia Voigt, a 24-year-old Venezuelan American who was crowned in September, and had seen "a decline in her mental health," an issue Voigt mentioned when she resigned on Monday.

As for Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava, who is 17, Michelle said she had "firsthand seen the disrespect toward Uma and her family."

"I disavow workplace toxicity and bullying of any kind," Michelle wrote, slamming the "unprofessional and inappropriate" way she felt management had spoken to Voigt and Srivastava.

In her own Instagram post, Voigt, who represented the western state of Utah, said she was resigning, noting: "Never compromise your physical and mental well-being. Our health is our wealth."

She called her time as Miss USA "incredibly meaningful," highlighting her charity work and being the first Venezuelan American to win the title.

But she also said she hoped to "inspire others to remain steadfast, prioritize your mental health, advocate for yourself and others by using your voice, and never be afraid of what the future holds."

Srivastava, a self-described "first generation, Mexican-Indian American" from New Jersey, said on May 8 she was relinquishing her crown as her "personal values no longer fully align with the direction of the organization."

The Miss USA contest has seen a number of controversies and scandals in recent years, with multiple allegations of preferential treatment given to certain contestants, according to media reports.

The organization later found those claims to be unsubstantiated, but the president of Miss USA, former titleholder Crystle Stewart, stepped down.

Cheslie Kryst, who was crowned Miss USA in 2019, died by suicide in early 2022.