Miss Teen USA 2023, UmaSofia Srivastava attends Supermodels Unlimited Magazine Presents: Billboards Over Broadway – NYFW Celebrity Event at Nebula Nightclub on February 10, 2024 in New York City.
Miss Teen USA 2023 UmaSofia Srivastava is stepping down from her title two days after Miss USA 2023 Noelia Voigt resigned.
Srivastava, 17, announced her resignation in an Instagram post in a nearly identical format to Voigt, writing that she feels her "personal values no longer fully align with the direction of the organization."
"After months of grappling with this decision, I have made the choice to resign from the title of Miss Teen USA 2023. I am grateful for all the support from my family, my state directors, my sister queens, and the fans who have cheered me on since I won my state title. I will always look back on my time as Miss NJ Teen USA fondly, and the experience of representing my state as a first generation, Mexican-Indian American at the national level was fulfilling in itself," she wrote.
Srivastava continued, "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. However, I will continue my relentless advocacy for education and acceptance, with my multi-lingual children's book 'The White Jaguar' and with the organizations that I have had the privilege to work with long before starting competing..."
The teen wrote that she is looking forward to finishing 11th grade as part of the National Honor Society, as well as starting applications for colleges. She also teased a "new writing project" that is expected to be released this year.
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In the caption to the post, Srivastava thanked her supporters and wrote that this was "certainly not how I saw my reign coming to a close."
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"At the end of the day, I am so lucky to have had the privilege of this experience, but if this is just a chapter, I know that the story of my life will truly be incredible," she wrote in part.
Voigt commented on the post, "I LOVE YOU! So proud of you my angel."
The Miss Teen USA posted on Instagram May 8 a photo of Srivastava on the evening of her title win and wrote, “UmaSofia, we are wishing you all the best. Thank you for your service as Miss Teen USA,” with a crown emoji.
“We respect and support UmaSofia’s decision to step down from her duties,” the organization wrote in a caption. “The well-being of our titleholders is a top priority. We are currently reviewing plans for the transition of responsibilities to a successor, and we will soon announce the crowning of the new Miss Teen USA.”
TODAY.com reached out to the Miss USA organization for comment, but did not hear back by the time of publication.
In 2023, Srivastava made history as the first Mexican-Indian Miss New Jersey Teen USA, according to the pageant. Along with working with several foundations, Srivastava wrote and illustrated her own children's book, is a pianist and runs a blog called That's Fan Behavior. In school, she co-founded a diversity and inclusion campaign and is a member of her mock trial and Model UN teams.
Srivastava's announcement comes one day after former Miss USA 2023 resigned from the coveted title to focus on her mental health.
In a message on social media, Voigt wrote, in part, “I realize this may come as a large shock to many. Never compromise your physical and mental well-being.”
Along with thanking people for their “unwavering support,” Voigt also expressed her gratitude for “my darling beloved Miss Teen USA, UmaSofia.”
On the Miss USA Instagram page, the organization shared a photo of Voigt after her win and wrote, “Thank you, Noelia, for your service as Miss USA. We wish you the best in this next chapter.”
In a similar message to that of Miss Teen USA, the Miss USA organization captioned the post, “We respect and support Noelia’s decision to step down from her duties. The well-being of our titleholders is a top priority, and we understand her need to prioritize herself at this time. We are currently reviewing plans for the transition of responsibilities to a successor, and we will soon announce the crowning of the new Miss USA.”
This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:
