Miss Teen USA gives up title days after Miss USA resigned

Miss Teen USA will be hanging up her tiara a few months ahead of schedule, and just days after Miss USA did the same.

UmaSofia Srivastava, who was crowned Miss Teen USA in September, announced in an Instagram post that she would be giving up the title for personal reasons. “I find that my personal values no longer fully align with the direction of the organization,” she wrote.

“While this was certainly not how I saw my reign coming to a close, I am excited to continue my advocacy for education and acceptance, start applying to colleges, and share some exciting new projects,” she added in the post’s caption. “At the end of the day, I am so lucky to have had the privilege of this experience, but if this is just a chapter, I know that the story of my life will truly be incredible.”

Her decision to resign comes two days after Noelia Voigt, who was crowned Miss USA last September, announced she would be stepping down to focus on her mental health.

Voigt’s resignation sparked a heavy reaction on social media, with many pointing out that the first letters of her first 11 sentences of her resignation post spelled out “I AM SILENCED,” though it’s unclear what that means, or if it’s a coincidence (the entire post spells out “I AM SILENCED HIP,” for the record).

“I LOVE YOU! So proud of you my angel,” Voigt commented below Srivastava’s Instagram post.

The two resignations come amid an era of controversy for the Miss USA Organization. In late 2022, contestants alleged that the competition had fixed the results and gave special treatment to that year’s winner, R’Bonney Gabriel.

As the Washington Post reported at the time, Miss Brands, the umbrella corporation for Miss USA, was suspended by the global Miss Universe Organization over the allegations. Gabriel denied the accusations against her and later ended up winning the Miss Universe crown in January 2023. She then surrendered the 2022 Miss USA title to Miss North Carolina USA, Morgan Romano. The Miss USA Organization in December announced an investigation found the rigging claims to be false.

The Miss Universe Organization, the big sister to the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA organizations, has seen its own share of upheaval.

Paula Shugart, who served as the MUO’s president for 23 years, resigned in November to work on new projects. In February, the organization’s CEO, Amy Emmerich, stepped down from her position, too.

As for what’s next for Srivastava, she said she will continue to promote her own projects, including her multilingual book “The White Jaguar” and work with nonprofits.

“Ultimately, working with these incredible non-profits and seeing the first-hand impact that ‘The White Jaguar’ has had on the kids and adults I’ve read it to is what has forged my legacy. This work has always been my TRUE purpose,” she wrote in her Instagram post.

“Thank you to those who support me for who l am and have always been, not for who I’ve momentarily become,” she wrote. “It has been a privilege.”

The Miss USA Organization did not respond to the Post’s request for comment.