For many, a beauty pageant is a gateway to success and glory.

However, in the United States, beauty contest winners are resigning from the post.

UmaSofia Srivastava, who was crowned Miss Teen USA 2023, has resigned from her title, just days after Miss USA stepped down.

Sharing the news, Srivastava said her “personal values no longer fully align” with the pageant organisation.

Her resignation follows earlier this week when another queen gave up her throne, citing mental health struggles as the reason for her departure.

Let’s take a closer look.

Miss Teen USA steps down

In an Instagram post, Srivastava wrote, “After careful consideration, I’ve decided to resign as I find that my personal values no longer fully align with the direction of the organisation.”

“However, I will continue my relentless advocacy for education and acceptance with my multi-lingual children’s book The White Jaguar and with the organisations that I have had the privilege to work with long before I started competing, namely The Lotus Petal Foundation and the Bridge of Books Foundation,” she added.

Accepting her resignation, Miss Teen USA, the company once owned by former US president Donald Trump (from 1996 to 2015), thanked Srivastava for her service.

The organisation wrote on the photo-sharing site, “We respect and support UmaSofia’s decision to step down from her duties. 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 crowing of the new Miss Teen USA.”

Why Miss USA resigned

Earlier this week, Miss USA Noelia Voigt announced her resignation on Instagram, where she said she believed in making decisions “that feel best for you and your mental health.”

“Never compromise your physical and mental wellbeing. Our health is our wealth.”

The 24-year-old Venezuelan-American, of Utah said that she hoped to “continue to inspire others” as she started “a new chapter” in life.

“Prioritise your mental health, advocate for yourself and others by using your voice and never be afraid of what the future holds, even if it feels uncertain,” she wrote.

Voigt expressed her gratitude for her seven month as Miss USA, which she said gave her a “platform… to make a difference,” as well as realise a “lifelong dream” and meeting “people all over the world.”

“Deep down I know that this is just the beginning of a new chapter for me, and my hope is that I continue to inspire others to remain steadfast, prioritize your mental health, advocate for yourself and others by using your voice, and never be afraid of what the future holds, even if it feels uncertain,” she wrote.

Miss USA thanked Voigt and added that “the well-being of our titleholders is a top priority.”

However, fans speculated that Voigt was conveying a secret message regarding a non-disclosure agreement because the initial letter of each of her 11 statements in the post reads, “I am silenced.”

Allegations of a toxic workplace

It is pertinent to mention here that Voigt’s resignation comes just three days after Miss USA’s social media director, Claudia Michelle, announced her exit from the brand, as per The New York Post, which cited insiders.

She alleged “workplace toxicity and bullying” and said that titleholders “should be heard and not silenced.”

“I have had the privilege of getting to work with Noelia and and unfortunately seen a decline in her mental health since we first met,” she said.

Responding to the allegations, the organisation told USA Today that Michelle’s statements were “false accusations,” and that the company was “committed to fostering a safe, inclusive and supportive environment, and we take these allegations seriously.”

Well, this isn’t the first time the company has faced such allegations.

Miss USA had made headlines earlier over the treatment of contestants and allegations of contest rigging. It had denied the claims, as per BBC.

In 2021, vice-president Max Sebrechts resigned from his position after several contestants accused him of harassing them sexually.

With inputs from agencies