Mothers of Miss USA and Miss Teen USA reveal mistreatment, abuse, bullying, and cornering experiences.
"The job of their dreams turned into a horrifying reality," stated Barbara Srivastava in a broadcast on Good Morning America, alongside Jackeline Voigt. "The girls had to make the difficult decision to step down from their dream - a crown, a prestigious title. Why would two girls give up such a coveted opportunity?"
It's the first time the mothers have spoken about the shocking ordeal that caused a stir in the pageant world last week. Not only was it the first time a Miss USA or Miss Teen USA titleholder had resigned, but both girls decided to leave within a brief period. On Instagram, UmaSofia wrote that her beliefs "no longer aligned" with the organization, while Noelia's message, although lengthy and obscure, translated to "I am silenced" in the first eleven sentences.
In the television interview, Jackeline avoided directly addressing the apparent secret message, but when asked if she believes her daughter was silenced, she answered firmly: "Yes, and she would remain so for her entire life if the NDA wasn't lifted."
Voigt's resignation missive to Miss USA, which CNN acquired and published on Saturday, detailed a broad range of allegations against Miss USA CEO Laylah Rose. Voigt accused Rose of fostering a "toxic work atmosphere" teeming with "bullying."
The ceo was reportedly "building a culture of fear and control, the polar opposite of women's empowerment, that's...dangerous for upcoming titleholders and staff," as Voigt penned. She highlighted a few examples, such as Rose neglecting to provide adequate travel arrangements or a suitable "handler," which led to a situation in Sarasota, Florida, in which Voigt claimed that a stranger sexually harassed her.
Her mother, who was also present in Sarasota, recounted in the interview that she noticed something amiss moments after the incident.
"I saw Noelia looking incredibly stressed out, and I asked, 'What happened?' She replied, 'Mom, get in the car,'" the mother recalled. "The stranger questioned Noelia, 'Are you into old men with money?' and made her quite uncomfortable."
Rose failed to apologize, according to Jackeline. In the resignation letter, Voigt stated that Rose insinuated that the organization "cannot prevent people from speaking to you at public events," adding, "it's unfortunately, a part of the role."
Barbara Srivastava disclosed that the titleholders were "bullied, mistreated, and bullied" during their reigning year.
Voigt urged the Miss Universe Organization, which owns Miss USA, to "talk to us or apologize." The parent company, owned by JKN Global Group, hasn't responded in the past week.
Neither Miss USA nor Miss Universe Organization replied to requests for comment, nor did they comment on earlier inquiries from CNN.
The coming Wednesday, Savannah Gankiewicz will be crowned the new Miss USA in a ceremony. Miss Teen USA, however, remains uncertain, as the runner-up from previous year, New York's Stephanie Skinner, declined to accept her title publicly on Instagram. CNN tried to contact the second runner-up, Miss Pennsylvania Teen Maggie Ross, to learn if she'll assume the crown, but no statement has been issued.
"Take a look at what happened to Noelia and UmaSofia," Jackeline cautioned. "This isn't the right time for other families or girls to immerse themselves into Miss USA."
"We just don't want to see others go through what we're undergoing," she added.
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After hearing about the mistreatment and bullying experienced by their daughters, the mothers advocated for change in the pageant industry. They argued that the pageant's style, which once symbolized beauty and empowerment, had transformed into an environment of fear and control.
Source: edition.cnn.com
