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The mothers of former Miss USA and Miss Teen USA have spoken out about why their daughters are stepping down from their titles.
One mother told a US morning news program that their “dream job has turned into a nightmare.”
The two pageant queens resigned just one day apart from each other last week.
Miss USA and Miss Teen USA said last week that they support the titleholders’ decision to step down and will announce a successor.
Miss Universe, which runs sister pageants, has not addressed the allegations of mistreatment and bullying. The BBC has contacted the organization for comment.
The mothers told ABC’s Good Morning America on Tuesday that they were speaking on behalf of their daughters as they are bound by non-disclosure agreements (NDAs).
Barbara Srivastava, mother of former Miss Teen USA Uma Sofia Srivastava, was interviewed along with Jacqueline Voigt, mother of former Miss Teen USA Noelia Voigt.
Srivastava told the programme: Their families “cannot continue this charade”.
They claimed their daughters had been “mistreated, abused, intimidated and trapped” and demanded an apology from the Miss Universe organisation.
Noelia Voigt was the first to resign on May 6, citing mental health problems.
“Never compromise on your physical and mental health,” the 24-year-old wrote in an Instagram post. “Our health is our wealth.”
Some fans speculated on the meaning behind her note, which they said appeared to spell out “I’m silent” in the first 11 sentences.
Her mother refused to answer whether the encrypted message was intentional, but said she felt the organization had silenced her daughter.
“And she will remain that way for the rest of her life if this non-disclosure agreement is not like that [lifted],” she added.
Noelia Voigt’s resignation came three days after Miss USA social media director Claudia Michele announced her resignation from the brand, citing alleged “toxicity and bullying in the workplace” and saying titleholders “should be heard, not silenced.” “.
Just one day after Noelia Voigt’s exit, Uma Sofia Srivastava resigned from her Miss Teen USA title. The 17-year-old also made the announcement on Instagram, writing that her “personal values no longer fully align” with organizing the pageant.
Umasophia Srivastava’s mother said in the interview that her daughter was mistreated by the Miss Universe organization and that her personal social media was monitored.
She said her daughter’s resignation was due to Noelia Voigt’s exit.
Both mothers called for an end to participation in all Miss USA pageants, saying they did not want others to suffer the same abuse their daughters allegedly faced.
Stephanie Skinner, 19-year-old Miss Teen USA runner-up, told… New York Post On Monday she doesn’t want the crown either.
“I eventually came to the decision to reject it,” she said, adding that she “stands in solidarity and stands for women’s empowerment.”
“My integrity and character will always come before my crowns.”
