Miss Teen USA introduced she’s stepping down Wednesday, two days after Miss USA mentioned she is resigning and relinquishing her crown.
UmaSofia Srivastava, 17, posted on Instagram: “After cautious consideration, I’ve determined to resign as I discover that my private values not totally align with the path of the group.”
Srivastava added: “I’m grateful for all of the assist from my household, my state administrators, my sister queens, and the followers who’ve cheered me on since I received my state title. I’ll all the time look again on my time as Miss NJ Teen USA fondly, and the expertise of representing my state as a primary technology, Mexican-Indian American on the nationwide degree was fulfilling in itself.”
The resignation comes the identical week Noelia Voigt relinquished her crown as Miss USA, citing her psychological well being.
Final week, the social media director for the Miss USA group additionally introduced she was resigning. Claudia Michelle mentioned on Instagram she had noticed Voigt’s psychological well being “decline” and noticed “disrespect” to Srivastava and her household.
“I really feel the way in which present administration speaks about their titleholders is unprofessional and inappropriate; I disavow office toxicity and bullying of any type,” Michelle wrote.
Laylah Rose, CEO and president of the Miss USA group, mentioned in a press release to NBC Information on Wednesday that “the well-being of all people related to Miss USA is my high precedence.”
“All alongside, my private objective as the pinnacle of this group has been to encourage girls to all the time create new desires, have the braveness to discover all of it, and proceed to protect integrity alongside the way in which. I maintain myself to those identical excessive requirements and I take these allegations severely,” she mentioned, with out elaborating on what allegations she was referencing.
Srivastava mentioned she is going to proceed to advocate for schooling and acceptance.
She cited the response she has acquired, from each youngsters and adults, a few youngsters’s e-book she wrote, “The White Jaguar,” as having solid her legacy.
“This work has all the time been my TRUE function,” Srivastava wrote.
In keeping with a abstract of the e-book, it’s a narrative a few jaguar that’s separated from her dad and mom throughout a hearth. The jaguar, which realizes it appears totally different from different jaguars, has to seek out its manner dwelling throughout a journey of self-love, the abstract says.
Srivastava additionally mentioned she’s trying ahead to ending her junior 12 months in highschool and making use of to schools.
“Most significantly, thanks to those that assist me for who I’m and have all the time been, not for who I’ve momentarily turn out to be,” she mentioned.
Voigt introduced on Monday she was resigning as Miss USA to prioritize her psychological well being. Voigt, 24, who captured the crown in September, posted on Instagram that she was stepping down.
“Deep down I do know that that is just the start of a brand new chapter for me, and my hope is that I proceed to encourage others to stay steadfast, prioritize your psychological well being, advocate for your self and others through the use of your voice, and by no means be afraid of what the longer term holds, even when it feels unsure,” Voigt mentioned.
The Miss USA group mentioned in a press release on Monday that it respects Voigt’s determination and has accepted her resignation.
“We respect and assist former Miss USA Noelia Voigt’s determination to step down from her duties,” it mentioned. “The well-being of our titleholders is a high precedence, and we perceive her have to prioritize herself at the moment.”
The pageant mentioned it’s reviewing plans for “the transition of obligations to a successor” and can make an announcement quickly.