Noelia Voigt announced earlier this week that she would be stepping down from her post.
The Miss USA pageant program is facing a shocking shakeup this week, with the resignation of both Miss USA Noelia Voigt and Miss Teen USA 2023 UmaSofia Srivastava within the span of just a few days.
On Thursday, Miss Nevada USA 2023, Josie Nicole Stephens, and Miss Maine USA 2023, Juliana Morehouse, sat down with ET to share their thoughts on the resignations, as well as what their fellow competitors are saying behind the scenes.
"I can imagine that there must be something going on behind the scenes to prompt them to walk away so close to giving up their titles," Morehouse speculated.
"This is an organization that I have been competing in for 12 years now, and it's something that I've always believed in," Stephens shared. "It's an organization that has given women the opportunity to share their voices, and it is heartbreaking that now they're the ones who are essentially silencing us."
Earlier this week, Voigt, who won the Miss USA crown as Miss Utah, announced that she would be stepping down from her post, in order to prioritize her mental health. Then on Wednesday, Srivastava said she was also giving up her crown, writing, "After careful consideration, I've decided to resign as I find that my personal values no longer fully align with the direction of the organization."
As for what other details are behind the pair's decision to forfeit their titles, Stephens says that's a "very important question." She and dozens of her fellow 2023 Miss USA competitors shared a joint statement to social media on Wednesday, declaring that they are supporting Voigt's decision to resign and calling on the Miss USA organization to release her from any nondisclosure agreement that might be preventing her from sharing more of her story.
"We have unfortunately not heard very much -- just like the general public we are all waiting and pushing for the organization to release those girls from their NDAs," she shared. "This is an organization that we all believe in, obviously. We put in time and money and competed, so we want to know what's happening behind closed doors."
Morehouse claimed that the NDAs -- which prevent the contestants from sharing private details about the pageant -- were a new addition for 2023, which marked the first year the Miss USA pageant was directed by fashion designer Laylah Rose.
"This is the first year of this new leadership. And the first year that a contract like that has been signed," she said. "An attorney has said that it is ironclad and it's one of the most egregious contracts that she's ever seen."
Stephens added that she "noticed" the supposed hidden message in Voigt's post -- some Swiftie-level internet sleuths put together that the first letter of each sentence in her statement spelled out "I am silenced." However, she said she could not "confirm or deny" whether that was a deliberate tactic on Voigt's part.
Morehouse agreed, adding, "I don't know for sure. But I believe it was that. That can't be a coincidence that it would spell out 'I am silenced.' That would have to be magic for that to happen."
The duo and their fellow competitors -- who have been discussing their next steps in a group chat and plan to address the issue as a "united group" -- are asking first and foremost for honestly and clear communication.
"I think the most important thing is transparency -- transparency on both sides," Stephens explained. "I want to hear from the organization. I want to hear their story, as well as [allow] Noelia and UmaSofia the option to tell their story."
"We need full transparency, especially for the women who are to come after us," she continued. "They need to know what exactly they’re putting themselves, the situation that they’re putting themselves into."
"If you have nothing to hide, they should be able to speak freely," Morehouse agreed. "Practice what you preach. If you're going to promote an organization that's supposed to be platforming and uplifting women, stand behind it. Do it behind closed doors, not just for the public to see."
"We do not want to see the organization die, because historically it's been wonderful for lifting up women -- giving them a platform, giving them a voice, teaching them skills that they will use for the rest of their lives," she added. "Ultimately, we just want all the women who come after us to be treated better than Noelia and Uma were."
Ultimately, Stephens said she can understand the level of stress that Voigt must have been under to push her to resign. Her statement emphasizing a focus on mental health called to mind another former Miss USA, Cheslie Kryst, who won the title in 2019 but died by suicide just over two years later, after battling depression for years.
"You pretty much become a public figure overnight when you are crowned as a pageant queen," she noted. "That comes along with all the great things and then also all of the bad things -- all of the negative people who are trying to drag you down. So do I think winning Miss USA may have had an impact on Cheslie and may have led to that occurrence? Quite possibly, yes."
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