The mothers of two resigned American beauty queens speak out. A week after Miss USA Noelia Voigt and Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava returned their crowns, their mothers gave a joint interview to Good morning america.
“Her dream job turned out to be a nightmare,” says Barbara Srivastava, UmaSofia’s mother.
“It has nothing to do with what they didn’t get. It’s about the way they were mistreated, harassed and cornered,” he denounces.
Scandal in three resignations
Since the beginning of the month, the matter has shaken the two beauty pageants, both belonging to the Miss Universe Organization.
It was the message on Instagram from one Claudia Michelle, social media manager for the Miss USA organization, that started it all.
When announcing his departure, he cited Noelia Voigt, 24, and ImaSofia Srivastava, 17, in the same message. And she denounced “the attack on mental health” and the “lack of respect” of which they were victims, and condemned “toxicity and intimidation in all its forms in the workplace.”
“I am gagged.”
A few days later, Noelia Voigt announced her resignation on Instagram, citing her mental health. Immediately, Internet users noticed that the first letters of the sentences in her press release, put end to end, formed the words “I am gagged.”
Two days later, UmaSofia Srivastava followed suit, writing on the same social network that her “personal values no longer fully align with those of the leadership of the Miss USA organization.”
According to CNN, the two young women are subject to a confidentiality clause. Noelia Voigt’s mother, Jackeline, did not want to reveal Good morning america if his daughter’s cryptic message had been intentional. But she said she remained silent and that she “will remain silent for the rest of her life if the confidentiality agreement is not cancelled.”
revealing letter
Noelia Voigt’s resignation letter, obtained by NBC, says more about the reasons for her departure: “The Miss USA organization provides a toxic work environment that results, at best, from poor supervision, at worst , intimidation and harassment,” he wrote there in particular. .
He also denounces the behavior of Laylah Rose, general director of Miss USA, “often cold and unnecessarily aggressive”: “It is exceptionally unpleasant to try to do my job and be constantly threatened with disciplinary measures, such as not paying my salary (…). ”
According to CNN, in the same letter she accuses him of “establishing a culture of fear and control, the antithesis of girl power, that is dangerous for both Misses and employees.”
“Now is not the right time to participate”
She also mentions an incident that occurred during a trip to Florida, where the Miss USA organization did not provide her with adequate transportation. She claims to have found herself alone in a car with a stranger who “made several inappropriate statements about her desire to begin a relationship with (her).” She writes in this letter that when she spoke to Laylah Rose about it, she simply responded: “We can’t stop people from talking to you during public appearances.”
Jackeline Voigt tells Good morning america having seen her daughter shortly after this incident: “He said to her, ‘Do you like older, rich men?'” she says. “He made her feel very, very uncomfortable.”
On May 8, at the beginning of the debacle, Laylah Rose sent a statement to NBC News stating that “the well-being of all individuals affiliated with Miss USA is (her) priority.” Barbara Srivastava and Jackeline Voigt warn future candidates: “Look what happened to Noelia and UmaSofia. “This is not the right time to participate.”
Source: BFM TV
