Miss USA Noelia Voigt resigns due to mental health reasons

Reigning Miss USA Noelia Voigt has resigned her title, citing mental health issues.

Ms Voigt, who won the annual competition in September, said she believed in making decisions “that are best for you and your mental health”.

“Make sure you never compromise your physical and mental well-being,” she wrote on Instagram. “Our health is our wealth.”

The Miss USA organization said it supports her decision and will announce a successor.

The 24-year-old Venezuelan-American from Utah said she hoped to “continue to inspire others” as she began “a new chapter” in her life.

“Prioritize your mental health, stand up for yourself and others by using your voice, and never fear what the future holds, even when it feels uncertain,” she said.

She expressed gratitude for her seven months as Miss USA, which she said gave her a “platform… to make a difference,” achieve a “lifelong dream” and meet “people all over the world.”

Miss USA thanked Ms. Voigt, saying on Instagram that “the well-being of our titleholders is a top priority.”

The organization said it was reviewing plans for the “transfer of responsibilities to a successor.”

Savannah Gankiewicz of Hawaii came second to Ms. Voigt last year. The New York Times reported that Ms. Gankiewicz has already received the title.

While health professionals praised the decision to step down, fans have speculated about her motivation for relinquishing her crown after just over seven months.

“If a mental illness interferes with a person’s ability to not only carry out their daily activities, but actually do their job, it is as life-threatening and as serious as untreated diabetes (and) uncontrolled high blood pressure. ” said Dr. Jen Ashton, a US health correspondent, told Good Morning America in response to the news.

Ms. Voigt’s firing came three days after Miss USA’s social media director Claudia Michelle announced her own resignation from the brand, citing alleged “workplace toxicity and bullying” and saying rights holders “need to be heard and should not be silenced.”

“I have had the privilege of working closely with Noelia and have unfortunately seen a decline in her mental health since we first met,” Michelle wrote in a statement.

Ms. Voigt’s “ability to share her story and her platform has been diminished,” she claimed.

Miss USA told USA Today that Ms. Michelle’s statement contained “false allegations,” saying the organization was “committed to fostering a safe, inclusive and supportive environment, and we take these allegations seriously.

“Indeed, we have and will continue to prioritize the well-being of all individuals involved with Miss USA.”

But fans on social media noticed that the first letter of each sentence of Ms. Voigt’s lengthy resignation statement read: “I AM SILENCED” — even though the last three sentences spelled “HIP.” Below her resignation statement on Instagram, dozens of fans commented on the apparent connection.

The BBC has reached out to Miss USA for further comment.

Miss USA has previously sparked controversy over its treatment of contestants. The year before Ms. Voigt was crowned, the pageant faced allegations of rigging the 2022 contest in favor of winner B’Roney Gabriel, who had ties to sponsors, including one owned by then-president Crystle Stewart.

Ms. Stewart was suspended from her role, although she, Miss USA and Ms. Gabriel denied the manipulation claims. It was later revealed that Ms. Stewart’s husband, Max Sebrechts, vice president of Miss USA, resigned from his position after multiple contestants alleged he sexually harassed them in 2021.