Umasofia Srivastava, who was crowned Miss Teen USA 2023, resigned from her position on Wednesday after “struggling with this decision for months,” two days after Noelia Vogt resigned as Miss USA. did.
“After careful consideration, my personal values are no longer fully aligned with the direction of the organization, and I have decided to resign,” Srivastava wrote on Instagram, without providing further details. .
Srivastava and Miss USA did not respond to requests for comment.
Srivastava, who represents New Jersey, was named the winner of the Miss Teen USA pageant held in Reno, Nevada in September.
Her bio on the Miss Teen USA website describes Srivastava as “the first Mexican-Indian Miss New Jersey Teen USA” and that she “hopes to become an ambassador to the United Nations.” added. She did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
After Vogt announced Monday that she was stepping down from Miss USA to focus on her mental health, speculation abounded online about the reasons for her decision. Fans of the contest noticed that the first letter of the first 11 sentences of Ms. Vogt's statement spelled out “I am silent.”
After Srivastava's statement, many people showed support for the two women in hundreds of comments posted on Instagram and other social media platforms.
Layla Rose, CEO and president of Miss USA and Miss Teen USA, said in an email Wednesday that she and the organization have received support since her resignation.
“I know all of us who love this program want to do something fast,” Rose said. “My goal is to provide some really helpful steps that we can take together.” She did not elaborate on what those steps would entail.
“Our overarching goal at Miss USA is to celebrate and empower women,” Rose said. She added that the organization's goal is to inspire women and maintain integrity while doing so.
Miss Teen USA responded to Srivastava's resignation on Instagram, thanking her for the role. The organization said it would soon announce the selection of a new Miss Teen USA, but did not provide further details.
“We respect and support Uma Sophia's decision to resign from her position,” the group said in a statement. “The health of our titleholders is our top priority.”
Miss USA posted a similar response to Vogt's comments earlier this week.
Other Miss USA contestants also came out to support Vogt on Wednesday. Miss New Jersey USA 2023 Darby Chukwudi posted a statement on Instagram saying the majority of members of the Miss USA 2023 class supported Vogt's decision.
The statement also asked the Miss USA organization to release Vogt from a non-disclosure agreement so she can talk about her experience.
“Our goal is to restore Noelia's voice,” the statement said. “We want full transparency from contestants in 2024 and beyond.”
Vogt and Srivastava supported each other in their resignations and wished each other well.
“I love you so much, Noelia,” Srivastava wrote. “You are incredibly strong.”
For now, Srivastava writes that she will focus on finishing 11th grade, applying to college, and continuing to run her blog, That's Fan Behavior.
“Although it was never the way I saw my reign coming to an end, I am excited to continue advocating for education and inclusion,” Srivastava wrote. .
“At the end of the day, I’m really lucky to have had this experience,” Srivastava added. “But I know that even if this is just one chapter, the story of my life will be truly amazing.”