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The mothers of Miss USANoelia Voigt and Miss Teen USAUmaSofia Srivastava, who just resigned their positions after winning their crowns last September, claim their daughters’ dream jobs “turned out to be a nightmare.”
Both Voight and Srivastava are bound by non-disclosure agreements they signed, but Jackeline Voigt and Barbara Srivastava told “Good Morning America” their daughters were “ill-treated, abused, bullied and cornered.”
The girls resigned their crowns last week, with Srivastava giving up hers just two days after Voight.
“We could not continue this charade. The girls decided to step down, give their dream of a lifetime, their crown, a national title. Why would two girls decide to give that up?” Barbara Srivastava said.
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UmaSofia Srivastava and Noelia Voigt both resigned their crowns last week. (Craig Barritt/Getty Images for Supermodels Unlimited)
Jackeline Voight said that her daughter would be silenced “the rest of her life if this NDA isn’t being lifted. The girls need to speak.”
In a resignation letter obtained by ABC News and other outlets, Voight wrote,”There is a toxic work environment within the Miss USA organization that, at best, is poor management and, at worst, is bullying and harassment. This started soon after winning the title of Miss USA 2023.”
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Voight announced her resignation on Instagram on May 6, citing her “mental health,” in a lengthy statement.
Voigt was the first Venezuelan-American woman to win Miss USA in 2023. (Getty Images)
In her May 8 resignation, Srivastava said her “values no longer fully align with the direction of the organization.”
“I saw Noelia so stressed out, and I said, ‘What Happened?’” Voight said of her daughter after a Christmas parade last year when Noelia said she was sexually harassed by man who asked her if she was “into old men with money. And made Noelia very, very uncomfortable.”
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She said Noelia returned home after her resignation.
“And it was so beautiful to see her running in my living room with the dogs. I had my Noelia back. She was so upset. This is not what she worked so hard for.”
She added that the Miss USA organization “needs to come out and speak to us or apologize or clean this mess.”
Umasofia Srivastava stepped down as Miss Teen USA last week. (Getty Images)
Srivastava added, “The crown weighs very heavy.” She said it wasn’t about “prizes” the girls didn’t get. “They were ill-treated, abused, bullied and cornered.
“When [UmaSofia] saw that they were attacking Noelia’s mental health, she said, ‘I cannot stand for this. I need to stand up with Noelia,'” Barbara said.
Stephanie Skinner, the first runner-up for Miss Teen USA also declined the title this week, “in light of recent events,” adding that her core values are “integrity, honor, kindness and most importantly, I will always stand for female empowerment.
She said while she didn’t know “exactly’ what Srivastava and Voight went through, “I am sending them immense love and support.”
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Both Srivastava and Voight’s moms have called onMiss USA CEO and President Laylah Rose to resign and suggested other women and girls who aspire to Miss USA should avoid pageants.
Noelia Voigt resigned as Miss USA 2023, citing mental health concerns. (Getty Images)
“Look at what happened to Noelia and UmaSofia, so really pay attention,” Voight said. “We don’t want them to go through this right now. It’s not the right time to participate.
She added, “We just don’t want these families and these girls to go through what we’re going through.”
After Voight’s resignation, the Miss USA organization said it offered “respect and support” to Noelia and her decision to step down from her duties.
“The well-being of our titleholders is a top priority, and we understand her need to prioritize herself at this time,” the organization said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital.
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Fox News Digital has reached out to the Miss USA organization for comment.
