Mothers of beauty queens have come forward with allegations of mental abuse and torment faced by their daughter, former Miss Teen USA 2023 Noelia Voigt and former Miss USA 2023 UmaSofia Srivastava, at the hands of Miss USA president Laylah Rose. Barbara Srivastava, UmaSofia's mother, stated that the two young women experienced daily torment and threats, leading them to step down from their positions earlier this month.
Barbara highlighted the alleged mental abuse suffered by the titleholders, pointing to a toxic environment created by the organization's management. She mentioned a lack of communication and unprofessional behaviour, including workplace bullying and harassment, as major issues faced by the young queens.
Speaking to The Independent, Noelia's mother expressed frustration over the organization's poor communication and handling of the situation. She mentioned that her daughter and UmaSofia didn't know why they were constantly receiving negative feedback and felt unsupported by the organization.
In addition to the alleged mental abuse, Noelia's mom revealed an incident where her daughter faced unwanted sexual advances at a 2023 Christmas parade. She criticized the organization's response, stating that they dismissed the incident as something that comes with the territory of being a pageant winner.
Both mothers have called for Laylah Rose to step down from her position. The CW, which airs the contests, has stated that it is reevaluating its relationship with the organization in light of these allegations.
UmaSofia, the first Mexican-Indian Miss New Jersey Teen USA, resigned last week, citing a misalignment of personal values with the organization. These resignations come amid a wave of departures from the organization, including that of Miss USA Social Media Director Claudia Michelle, who also raised concerns about her experience with the Miss USA Organization.
In response to the allegations, the Miss USA Organization has stated that it is committed to fostering a healthy, communicative, and supportive environment for all contestants, titleholders, and staff.
Barbara highlighted the alleged mental abuse suffered by the titleholders, pointing to a toxic environment created by the organization's management. She mentioned a lack of communication and unprofessional behaviour, including workplace bullying and harassment, as major issues faced by the young queens.
Speaking to The Independent, Noelia's mother expressed frustration over the organization's poor communication and handling of the situation. She mentioned that her daughter and UmaSofia didn't know why they were constantly receiving negative feedback and felt unsupported by the organization.
In addition to the alleged mental abuse, Noelia's mom revealed an incident where her daughter faced unwanted sexual advances at a 2023 Christmas parade. She criticized the organization's response, stating that they dismissed the incident as something that comes with the territory of being a pageant winner.
Both mothers have called for Laylah Rose to step down from her position. The CW, which airs the contests, has stated that it is reevaluating its relationship with the organization in light of these allegations.
UmaSofia, the first Mexican-Indian Miss New Jersey Teen USA, resigned last week, citing a misalignment of personal values with the organization. These resignations come amid a wave of departures from the organization, including that of Miss USA Social Media Director Claudia Michelle, who also raised concerns about her experience with the Miss USA Organization.
In response to the allegations, the Miss USA Organization has stated that it is committed to fostering a healthy, communicative, and supportive environment for all contestants, titleholders, and staff.
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