Beauty pageants are part of Americana.
But now a major one is in crisis.
And Miss USA resigned her crown because of this heartbreaking event.
The Miss USA pageant in crisis
Former 2023 Miss USA winner Noelia Voigt recently vacated her crown after signing a nondisclosure agreement with the Miss USA, alleging harassment and toxic mistreatment that ruined her mental health.
Claudia Michelle, the former social media director for Miss USA, also resigned from the organization and told the Independent what led to Voigt’s departure.
Michelle revealed a harrowing experience where the driver of her car in the 2023 Florida Christmas parade propositioned her and led to Voigt’s department.
“He was saying, how he was older and he had money, that kind of thing,” Michelle said in the interview.
Michelle explained that Voigt was trapped in a car where some old creep tried to buy her off with his claims of great wealth, which grossed her out beyond belief.
“She literally couldn’t escape it. What was she going to do, step out of the car and walk away in the middle of the parade?” Michelle added.
“She was stuck,” Michelle continued.
Michelle said the vulnerable position Voigt found herself in owed to organizational failures by Miss Universe and its CEO Laylah Rose.
“The role of the handler in the pageant world is to almost be like a bodyguard in the sense where they’re the eyes, ears and voice for Noelia – to kind of speak up,” Michelle explained.
“It would have been in that handler’s best interest to speak up and say something, you know, ‘that’s not appropriate, that’s not okay,’ right then and there, and squash it out,” Michelle told the Independent.
Michelle revealed that Voigt brought up her concerns about security keeping lecherous old men away from her, but the organization “basically dismissed” Voigt’s concern and treated them like it “wasn’t a big deal.”
Problems at Miss USA start at the top
Michelle believes Voigt found herself in a vulnerable position because Rose can’t afford to put in place the proper infrastructure to run a pageant of this size.
“[Ms Rose] did not have the funds to run it [the organization]. It’s really that plain and simple,” Michelle recounted.
Michelle believed as the winner of the Miss USA pageant, Voigt, required full time security to help her navigate the media and public appearance schedule a winner should be expected to meet.
“Noelia should have been traveling with a bodyguard, with a handler, at all times. There was not enough staff to help her do what she needed to do for the first four months of her reign,” Michelle stated.
Miss USA is a prestigious title, and the winner should be booked like a celebrity for the benefit of their career and to maintain the value of the crown going forward.
“Miss USA should be booked and busy and going to all of the important events – an equal mix of philanthropic events, red-carpet events . . . whatever it is,” Michelle concluded.
None of that happened, as Voigt’s resignation threw Miss USA into chaos.
