Noelia Voigt, a Venezuelan-American who was crowned just last year, abruptly resigned from her title. On Instagram, she wrote: "Growing up depends on going through many things that allow us to understand ourselves better. According to the New York Times, a letter of resignation written by Voight to Miss America leadership and within the Miss Universe organization reveals the dark inside story of the industry. In her eight-page resignation letter, Voight wrote: "Miss America has a toxic work environment that is mismanaged at best and bullying and harassment at worst." She also said that Miss America even delayed cashing out her winnings.
Miss America resigned from her title
Noelia Voight is a Venezuelan-American model from Utah who competed in the 72nd Miss America contest in September 2023 and won the title in November. During the final round of Q&A of the competition, Voight was asked, "What will you contribute to this organization as a brand ambassador for Miss America?" She replied, "The ability to communicate with people is an important ability that Miss America should have. The United States of America is an extremely diverse country, and as a Venezuelan-American woman, I was able to connect with the Venezuelan people in the United States. ”
On the 6th local time, Voight resigned from the title of "Miss America" on the grounds of mental health. She wrote on Instagram that she experienced physical and psychological problems such as "heart palpitations, tremors all over the body, loss of appetite, unconscious weight loss, insomnia, and hair loss." "Deep down, I know this is just a new beginning in life, and I hope to continue to inspire others to stay steadfast, prioritize your mental health, use your voice to advocate for yourself and others, and never be afraid of the future, even if it's full of uncertainty." After Voight's resignation, on the 8th local time, Miss Teen USA (Miss Teen USA) Uma Sofia Srivastava (UmaSofia Srivastava) also resigned from her 2023 title. Arianna Lemus, who represents Colorado in the Miss America 2023 contest, said on the 10th local time that she will also resign after seeing Voith's Instagram post to show her support for Voigh. "She's asking for help." Lemus told the New York Times.
The sudden resignation of the three of them has sparked speculation. Because they have non-disclosure agreements, they can't reveal much information. Social media analysis believes that the Instagram post announcing Voight's resignation contained secret information — the first 11 sentences of the statement were combined into the phrase "I AM SILENCED." In an Instagram post announcing her resignation, Srivastava wrote, "After much consideration, I have decided to resign from my title because I found that my personal values no longer fully align with the direction of this organization. Srivastava even quoted the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche: "There is no beautiful surface of water without terrible depth." ”
According to the New York Times, Voight said in a letter of resignation to Miss America leadership and within the Miss Universe organization that she had been sexually harassed during a Christmas parade in Sarasota, Florida, last year, but when she reported the incident to the organization, the person in charge was indifferent. After Voight's resignation statement, several Miss America 2023 contestants issued a joint statement on Instagram, demanding that Miss America terminate the non-disclosure agreement signed with Voight. Claudia Michelle Engelhardt, who previously served as the social media director of Miss America, resigned on May 3 local time. She believes that Miss America contestants are at a disadvantage when it comes to signing non-disclosure agreements. "They have to sign [non-disclosure agreements] or they won't be able to compete. A lot of people come here with all their might, and don't play just because they don't want to sign a non-disclosure agreement? [Miss America] basically treats them as hostages. ”
The sordid history of "Miss America".
The Miss America pageant has been controversial for the past few years. In the eyes of many Americans, the Miss America contest is inseparable from former President Trump, who and NBC (NBC) are supporters of the Miss Universe contest. The Miss Universe Organization (MUO), the organizer of the Miss Universe pageant, also owns the rights to host the Miss America and Miss Teenager America pageants. According to the contestants at the time, when they were changing clothes, Trump often went backstage to "visit". In September 2015, Trump announced that he had sold MUO to the talent and things group WME/IMG for an undisclosed purchase price.
In 2022, contestants claimed that the competition was rigged and the winner was decided. One of the contestants, Heather O'Keefe, said she and the other contestants were confined to a resort during the week of the competition, with little access to the outdoors. The organization forced them to pay for everything, including the T-shirts they were required to wear in front of the camera.
Last September, The New York Times produced a documentary, "How to Fix a Pageant," about how the Miss America pageant has gone from being respected in the past to being scandal-plagued today. "This organization claims to be committed to women's empowerment, but the leadership is not taking action." Journalist Lauren Herstik said in the documentary. In the documentary, one of the Miss America contestants said that Max Sebrechts, then vice president of Miss America, sexually harassed them. For those spectators immersed in the pageant, the successive resignations of Voigth and Srivastava were not so much shocking as confirmation of their long-held suspicions: something was wrong within the Miss America organization.
Many have pointed the finger at Miss America contest chair Laylah Rose for her abusive behavior. Denise White, a contestant who competed in the 1994 Miss America contest, wrote on Instagram: "Leila Rose intimidated, threatened, and silenced everyone. "According to the critics, the organization betrays one of its fundamental promises, and instead of imbuing young women with the confidence to create a good life, it asks contestants to invest a lot of time and money in perfecting their appearance to adapt to the structure of the company that harasses them, exploits them, instructs them not to do so." They must be respected, and they must work in a safe space. This title is worth all the effort. Voight said.
News and picture sources: The New York Times, VOX, The Hollywood Reporter, some pictures from the Internet
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