Umasophia Srivastava, who was crowned Miss Teen USA 2023, resigned from her position Wednesday after “struggling with this decision for months,” two days after Nolia Voigt stepped down as Miss USA.
“After careful consideration, I have decided to resign as I have found that my personal values do not fully align with the company’s direction” Ms. Srivastava wrote On Instagram, without elaborating.
Ms Srivastava and Miss USA did not respond to requests for comment.
Ms. Srivastava, who represented New Jersey, was crowned the winner of the Miss Teen USA pageant in Reno, Nev., in September.
Her biography on the Miss Dean USA website describes Ms Srivastava as “the first Mexican Indian Miss New Jersey Dean USA” and added that she “hopes to become a UN Ambassador”. He did not immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday.
After Ms. Voigt announced on Monday that she was stepping down as Miss USA to focus on her mental health, online speculation abounded about the reason for her decision. Ms. Contest fans noticed that the first letters of the first 11 sentences in Voigt’s statement read “I’m calm.”
After Ms Srivastava’s statement, hundreds of comments posted on Instagram and other social media platforms showed their support for the two women.
Laila Rose, chief executive and president of Miss USA and Miss Dean USA, said in an email Wednesday that she and the organization have received support since her resignation.
“I know that all of us who love the program want to hurry up and do something,” Ms. Rose said. “My goal is to provide really useful steps that we can take together.” She did not elaborate on what those steps would be.
“Our overarching goal at Miss USA is to celebrate and empower women,” said Ms. Rose. She said the organization’s goal is to empower women and protect integrity while doing so.
Miss Dean USA responded to Ms. Srivastava’s resignation on Instagram, thanking her for playing the role. The organization said it will soon announce a new Miss Dean USA title, but did not elaborate beyond that.
“We respect and support Umasophia’s decision to step down from its duties,” Written by the organization. “The well-being of our title holders is paramount.”
Miss USA issued a similar response to Ms. Voigt’s statement earlier in the week.
Other Miss USA contestants were supporting Ms. Voigt on Wednesday. Miss New Jersey USA 2023, Derby Chugwoody, released a statement on Instagram in which she said the majority of the Miss USA 2023 class supported Ms. Voigt’s decision.
That statement, Ms. Miss USA asked the organization to release Voigt from her non-disclosure agreement so she could talk about her experiences.
“Our goal is to give Noelia a voice again,” the statement said. “We ask for full transparency for competitors in the Class of 2024 and beyond.”
Ms. Voigt and Ms. Srivastava supported each other’s resignations and wished each other well.
“I love you so much, Nolia,” Ms Srivastava wrote. “You are incredibly strong.”
For now, Ms. Srivastava wrote, she will focus on finishing 11th grade, applying to colleges, and continuing her blog, That’s Fan Behavior.
“While I certainly don’t see my reign coming to an end, I am excited to continue my advocacy for education and acceptance,” Ms Srivastava wrote.
“Ultimately, I am very fortunate to have had the privilege of this experience, but I know that if this is just one chapter, the story of my life will be truly incredible,” Ms. Srivastava added.
