The shock resignation of Miss USA has concerned fans after they spotted an apparent hidden message in her leaving statement.
This week, Noelia Voigt, 24, became the first title holder in Miss USA’s 72-year history to relinquish her crown, saying she struggled with her mental health since becoming champion seven months ago.
But eagle-eyed fans spotted a code in her statement, with the first letter of each sentence spelling out, ‘I AM SILENCED.’
Her resignation was quickly followed by Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava, 17, also quitting on Wednesday, saying in her own statement that her values ‘no longer fully align with the direction of the organization.’
Noelia Voigt, 24, became the first title holder in Miss USA’s 72-year history to relinquish her crown, saying she struggled with her mental health since becoming champion seven months ago
Eagle-eyed fans spotted an apparent hidden message in her resignation statement, with the first letter of each sentence spelling out, ‘I AM SILENCED’
Voigt’s resignation was quickly followed by Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava (pictured together), who said her values ‘no longer fully align with the direction of the organization’
The sudden resignations from the beauty queens come amid allegations of a ‘toxic’ environment surrounding the Miss USA organization.
This allegedly includes strict contracts forcing contestants to smile at all times, alongside bullying and widespread mental health issues among pageant queens.
An insider told The New York Post that her mental health declined while serving as Miss USA, saying she suffered from ‘micromanaging to the 10th degree and harassing.’
‘Noelia wakes up every day on pins and needles because of harassing emails [from pageant organizers]: ‘Don’t do this,’ ‘Don’t do that,’ ‘Take that post down,’ Unlike that post.’
They added that she would be told to ‘remember your NDA’ constantly.
The Miss USA Organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment when contacted by DailyMail.com.
In the days before Voigt’s resignation, the organization’s social media manager Claudia Michelle also stepped down, writing in her own statement that ‘being offered your dream job and seeing that it was anything but was so disheartening.’
‘This is a women’s empowerment organization and my hope in making this statement is to restore some of the empowerment back to these titleholders that was so deeply lost in their year,’ wrote the former staffer.
She claimed she was left to manage Voigt’s social media entirely alone, and during her time working with the 24-year-old she ‘unfortunately (saw) a decline in her mental health.’
She added that Voigt’s ‘ability to share her story and her platform have been diminished’, and said she witnessed ‘disrespect’ directed at Srivastava.
‘I believe their voices and their stories should be heard and not silenced,’ she wrote. ‘I disavow workplace toxicity and bullying of any kind.’
Miss USA Organization social media manager Claudia Michelle (center) also resigned, and insiders alleged that the trio decided to quit together and strategically time their statements
Voigt allegedly suffered from ‘micromanaging to the 10th degree and harassing’ while reigning as Miss USA, and was reportedly often reminded to ‘remember your NDA’
The parents of Miss Teen USA UmaSodia Srivastava (pictured being crowned seven months ago) have reportedly banned the organization’s president from speaking to their daughter amid the controversy
Srivastava’s statement thanked her supporters for ‘who I am and have always been, not for who I’ve momentarily become’, alongside a pointed quote from philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche
The issues alluded to in Michelle’s statement were echoed by insiders speaking to The Post, who said the contestants have iron-clad contracts to smile despite ‘harmful workplace conditions.’
‘This toxic atmosphere is a serious concern,’ they told The Post. ‘There is an urgent need for intervention at the leadership level.’
An insider also alleged that Voigt, Srivastava and Michelle all agreed to resign together, and timed their statements strategically.
‘The decision was not easy. Noelia and UmaSofia are extremely dedicated people who worked incredibly hard for the pageant. The decisions were not taken lightly. They all decided to do this together,’ the insider said.
‘They are afraid of speaking out more at this time because of the organization. They don’t want this to have any lasting harmful effect on their futures.’
While Voigt’s apparently coded statement focused on her appreciation for the organization and her ‘pride’ over her participation, Srivastava’s statement alluded more pointedly to issues.
She said she was quitting because ‘I find that my personal values no longer fully align with the direction of the organization.’
‘Most importantly, thank you to those who support me for who I am and have always been, not for who I’ve momentarily become,’ she concluded.
The statement also included a quote from philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, reading: ‘There are no beautiful surfaces without a terrible depth.’
The insider told The Post that the ‘toxic’ environment surrounding the pageants has become so dysfunctional that Srivastava’s parents refuse to let Miss USA Organization president Laylah Rose speak to their daughter.
‘All correspondence had to go through her parents. Her parents meet weekly with the Miss Universe Organization to try and get things to change with Miss USA but nothing ever gets done. No changes, no nothing’ they said.
An insider spoke out to claim that contestants like Voigt (pictured) have iron-clad contracts to smile despite ‘harmful workplace conditions’
Voigt’s fellow competitors took her side this week in a joint statement, calling for her to be released from her NDA ‘to give Noelia her voice back’
As the decades-old competition faces controversy, Voigt’s fellow competitors took her side this week in a joint statement.
Contestants said the ‘majority of the members of the Miss USA class of 2023’ support her decision, and called for her to be released from confidentiality clauses in her NDA.
‘We are asking the Miss USA Organization to release Noelia from the confidentiality NDA clause of her contract, in perpetuity, so that she is free to speak on her experiences and time as Miss USA. We request a response within 24 hours,’ the statement read.
‘Our goal is to give Noelia her voice back. We are asking for full transparency for contestants in the class of 2024 and beyond.’