Allegations of a toxic environment within the Miss USA Organization emerged, including reports of micromanaging, harassment, and bullying.
Both Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava and Miss USA Noelia Voigt have resigned from their respective titles.
Mental health concerns were cited as the reason for their departures.
This is the first time in 72 years that there isn't a Miss USA or a Miss Teen USA titleholder.
In a surprising turn of events, both Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava and Miss USA Noelia Voigt have resigned from their respective titles this week. The two beauty pageant winners cited mental health concerns as the reason for their departures.
Voigt, who won the Miss USA title in September 2023, became the first Venezuelan American woman to hold the position and represented Utah. She shared her decision on Instagram, stating that she values making decisions that are best for her mental health.
Srivastava, who was crowned Miss Teen USA in September 2023 as the representative of New Jersey, announced her resignation due to a conflict of personal values with the organization's direction. She is currently a junior in high school and plans to apply to colleges.
The resignations come after allegations of a toxic environment within the Miss USA Organization emerged, including reports of micromanaging, harassment, and bullying. Contestants are said to be required to maintain a smiling appearance despite harmful workplace conditions.
Voigt's fellow competitors have called for her release from her non-disclosure agreement (NDA) to speak about her experiences as Miss USA. However, the exact reasons behind their resignations remain unclear.
This is the first time in 72 years of the pageants that there isn't a Miss USA or a Miss Teen USA titleholder.
Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava announced her resignation due to personal values no longer aligning with the direction of the organization.
Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava wrote a children's book called 'The White Jaguar' about a jaguar finding its way home during a journey of self-love.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(95%)
The article contains some instances of appeals to authority and inflammatory rhetoric, but no formal or blatant logical fallacies were found. The author reports on the resignations of Miss Teen USA and Miss USA, providing quotes from their statements and those of other individuals involved. No bias or deception is evident in the article.
]I feel the way current management speaks about their titleholders is unprofessional and inappropriate; I disavow workplace toxicity and bullying of any kind.[/
Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava and Miss USA Noelia Voigt both resigned from their positions this week.
Voigt became the first Venezuelan-American woman to win Miss USA in September 2023, representing Utah.
Srivastava was also crowned in September 2023 as Miss Teen USA, representing New Jersey.
Both Voigt and Srivastava cited mental health concerns for their resignations.
Accuracy
Voigt expressed gratitude for her experiences and urged others to prioritize their mental health and advocate for themselves.
Srivastava opened her statement with a quote from Friedrich Nietzsche: ‘There are no beautiful surfaces without a terrible depth.’
Both Miss USA and Miss Teen USA acknowledged their titleholders’ departures on social media, thanking them for their service.
Former social media director Claudia Michelle resigned over the weekend, accusing the organization of mistreatment and workplace toxicity.
Michelle claimed she was not allowed to bring anyone else onto her team and worked without financial compensation for her first two months on the job.
The Miss Universe Organization responded to Michelle’s accusations by stating it is committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment.
Deception
(30%)
The article contains selective reporting as it only mentions the resignations of Miss USA and Miss Teen USA without providing any context about why there have been multiple resignations from the organization in recent years. Additionally, Rachel Treisman quotes several individuals without disclosing that they are making allegations against the organization, which could be considered a lie by omission. Lastly, the article contains emotional manipulation through phrases such as 'mounting scrutiny' and 'under intrigue', which could potentially sway readers' emotions towards a negative view of the Miss USA and Miss Universe organizations.
Srivastava said she looks forward to finishing 11th grade and applying to college, as well as continuing her collaborations with education- and literacy-focused nonprofits and promoting her multilingual children’s book about acceptance, calling that work 'my TRUE purpose'
Eagle-eyed followers noted in the comments section that the first letters of the first 11 sentences of her statement spell out 'I AM SILENCED'
The latest in a string of recent controversies at the Miss USA and Miss Universe organizations
Fallacies
(85%)
The author makes an appeal to authority by quoting Friedrich Nietzsche at the beginning of UmaSofia Srivastava's statement without providing any context or explanation as to why it is relevant. This quote does not add any logical value to the article and is used solely for rhetorical effect.
> The Miss USA and Miss Teen USA resignations have prompted a slew of state titleholders to publicly pressure the pageant for more transparency.<br>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.<br>I look forward to finishing 11th grade and applying to college, as well as continuing my collaborations with education- and literacy-focused nonprofits and promoting my multilingual children’s book about acceptance, calling that work ‘my TRUE purpose.’<br>Miss USA Noelia Voigt announced her resignation in an Instagram post on Monday, citing ‘the importance of making decisions that feel best for you and your mental health.’<br>The first letters of the first 11 sentences of her statement spell out ‘I AM SILENCED’ (the remaining three spell ‘HIP’).<br>‘There are no beautiful surfaces without a terrible depth.’<br>
Bias
(95%)
The author does not demonstrate any clear bias in the article. However, there are some instances where the language used could be perceived as having a slight negative tone towards the Miss USA Organization due to recent controversies and resignations. This is not enough to constitute a significant bias and would only reduce the score slightly.
]The Miss USA and Miss Teen USA organizations have been under mounting scrutiny[
Reigning Miss USA Noelia Voigt and Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava both abdicated their posts this week, citing mental health concerns and a conflict of values with the parent organization.
Voigt, 24, was the first Venezuelan American woman to win the Miss USA title and the second contestant from Utah to do so.
This is the first time in 72 years of the pageants that there isn’t a Miss USA or a Miss Teen USA titleholder.
Miss USA’s Noelia Voigt and Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava both resigned from their titles.
Voigt’s statement contained the hidden message “I AM SILENCED.”
Both women cited mental health struggles during their tenure as title holders.
Allegations of a toxic environment within the Miss USA Organization include micromanaging, harassment, and bullying.
Contestants are reportedly required to maintain a smiling appearance despite harmful workplace conditions.
Voigt’s fellow competitors have called for her release from her NDA to speak about her experiences as Miss USA.
Accuracy
Miss USA’s and Miss Teen USA’s resignations were announced on different days.
Voigt cited mental health reasons for her resignation while Srivastava mentioned personal values not aligning with the organization's direction.
Deception
(30%)
The article contains selective reporting as it only reports details that support the author's position about the toxic environment in the Miss USA Organization. The author also uses emotional manipulation by describing Voigt and Srivastava's experiences as 'disheartening', 'decline in her mental health', and 'urgent need for intervention at the leadership level'. Additionally, there is a lie by omission as the article does not mention that Voigt and Srivastava's resignations were part of a larger trend of contestants leaving the organization due to various reasons.
The decision was not easy. Noelia and UmaSofia are extremely dedicated people who worked incredibly hard for the pageant. The decisions were not taken lightly.
The sudden resignations from the beauty queens come amid allegations of a 'toxic' environment surrounding the Miss USA Organization.
An insider told The New York Post that Voigt’s mental health sharply declined while serving as Miss USA, saying she suffered from 'micromanaging to the 10th degree and harassing.'
Miss USA Organization president Laylah Rose would allegedly post under contestants’ social media handles on a whim.
Fallacies
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Bias
(80%)
The author uses language that depicts the Miss USA Organization in a negative light and implies that it is silencing its title holders. This is an example of bias against the organization.
Contestants said the ‘majority of the members of the Miss USA class of 2023’ support her decision, and called for her to be released from confidentiality clauses in her NDA.
The decision was not easy. Noelia and UmaSofia are extremely dedicated people who worked incredibly hard for the pageant. The decisions were not taken lightly. They all decided to do this together.
They added that she would be told to ‘remember your NDA’ constantly, and Miss USA Organization president Laylah Rose allegedly posted to social media under Voigt and Srivastava’s handles on a whim.
This allegedly includes strict contracts forcing contestants to smile at all times, alongside bullying and widespread mental health issues among pageant queens.
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