UmaSofia Srivastava relinquishes her Miss Teen USA crown after Miss USA

UmaSofia Srivastava, who was crowned Miss Teen USA in 2023, resigned from her position on Wednesday after “months of struggling with this decision”, two days after Noelia Voigt resigned as Miss USA.

“After careful consideration, I have decided to resign as I see that my personal values ​​no longer fully align with the direction of the organization,” Ms. Srivastava wrote on Instagram, without further details.

Ms. Srivastava and Miss USA did not respond to requests for comment.

Representing New Jersey, Ms. Srivastava was crowned the winner of the Miss Teen USA pageant, held in Reno, Nevada, in September.

Her biography on the Miss Teen USA website describes Ms. Srivastava as “the first Mexican Indian Miss New Jersey Teen USA,” adding that she “hopes to become a UN ambassador.” She did not immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday.

On Monday, after Ms. Voigt announced her resignation from Miss USA to focus on her mental health, online speculation abounded about the reasons for her decision. Pageant fans noticed that the first letters of the first 11 sentences of Ms. Voigt’s statement spelled out: “I am silenced.” »

After Ms. Srivastava’s statement, many people showed their support for the two women in hundreds of comments posted on Instagram and other social media platforms.

Laylah Rose, executive director and president of Miss USA and Miss Teen USA, said in an email Wednesday that she and the organization have received support since the resignations.

“I know all of us who love the program want to rush out and do something,” Ms. Rose said. “My goal is to come up with really useful steps we can take together. » She did not specify what these measures might entail.

“Our overall goal at Miss USA is to celebrate and empower women,” Ms. Rose said. She added that the organization’s goal was to inspire women and uphold their integrity.

Miss Teen USA responded to Ms. Srivastava’s resignation on Instagram, thanking her for her time in the role. The organization said it would soon announce the crowning of a new Miss Teen USA, but did not provide further details.

“We respect and support UmaSofia’s decision to resign from her position,” the organization wrote. “The well-being of our title holders is a top priority.”

Miss USA issued a similar response to Ms. Voigt’s statement earlier in the week.

Other Miss USA candidates came to support Ms. Voigt on Wednesday. Derby Chukwudi, Miss New Jersey USA 2023, released a statement on Instagram saying the majority of the Miss USA 2023 class supported Ms. Voigt’s decision.

The statement also asked the Miss USA Organization to release Ms. Voigt from her nondisclosure agreement so she could speak about her experiences.

“Our goal is to give Noelia her voice back,” the statement said. “We demand full transparency for applicants in the Class of 2024 and beyond.”

Ms. Voigt and Ms. Srivastava supported each other during their resignations, wishing each other well.

“I love you so much, Noelia,” Ms. Srivastava wrote. “You are incredibly strong.”

For now, Ms. Srivastava wrote, she will focus on finishing 11th grade and applying to college and continuing to run her blog, That’s Fan Behavior.

“While this is certainly not how I saw the end of my reign, I am excited to continue my advocacy for education and acceptance,” Ms. Srivastava wrote.

“Ultimately, I am so lucky to have had the privilege of having this experience,” Ms. Srivastava added, “but if this is just one chapter, I know that the story of my life will truly be amazing.”