
The Miss Universe Organization, the organization that owns the pageants, is under increased scrutiny as it navigates what some in the industry view as an uncertain future in the wake of the abrupt resignations of Miss USA and Miss Teen USA.
With a 19th-century history in the United States, beauty pageants have struggled in recent decades to stay relevant as social norms have changed. Similar to the Miss Universe Organization, the Miss America pageant has had to deal with dwindling TV viewership and a leadership scandal of its own.
The current controversy at the Miss Universe Organization, which is owned by both the United States and Thailand, was preceded by years of turmoil and shake-ups in the leadership. The longstanding president of Miss Universe, JKN Global Group, resigned in 2023 following the company’s bankruptcy filing. In February, her successor tendered his resignation. 2020 saw Crystle Stewart, a previous winner, take over as Miss USA pageant director from the Miss Universe Organization. Following accusations of favoritism that rocked the 2022 competition, Stewart was replaced by fashion designer Laylah Rose.
Prior to that, in 2015, NBCUniversal terminated its affiliation with the pageants following allegations made by Donald Trump, the owner of Miss Universe at the time, who was running for president, that Mexico was smuggling rapists and criminals across the border. NBC News is a subsidiary of NBCUniversal.
Now that UmaSofia Srivastava has resigned as Miss Teen USA, Rose has been the subject of increased attention—an additional setback for an organization that has struggled—just two days after Noelia Voigt resigned as Miss USA.
Former Miss Montana and Miss USA contestant Dani Walker said, “I feel like they’ve already been on unstable ground.” “The biggest stars in the world are right here in Hollywood, and we live in an era full of influencers and reality TV celebrities. These are the reasons why American pageantry finds it difficult to remain relevant.
The recent division within the organization has also been documented by Walker, who originally documented her pageant journey on YouTube before switching to covering news and offering commentary on the pageant industry to over 130,000 subscribers. She claimed that during the past ten years, pageantry in the United States has also experienced a significant cultural change, with the competition now evaluating public speaking abilities in addition to physical beauty and placing a greater emphasis on diversity and advocacy. She cited the accomplishments of numerous previous Miss USA contestants who have since pursued careers in business and entertainment.
Finances appear to be one of the main causes of the unrest. In her letter of resignation, Claudia Michelle, the former social media manager for Miss USA, disclosed that she had not received payment for two months. Michelle claimed in an interview with NBC News that when she was hired in January, a Miss USA employee informed her that “this organization has no money” and that she would not be paid.
“In actuality, I wasn’t employed. Michelle stated, “There was no signed contract, no onboarding, and no salary and benefits.” “I was willing to take this on pro bono, which is a testament to how much I love this brand.”
Michelle went on, “This is the top pageant organization in our nation.” “This news is causing a decline in the number of girls entering the pageant, and many girls have already decided to withdraw from it.”
There are issues within the organization as indicated by other resignations.
Voigt’s resignation letter, which NBC News was able to obtain, highlighted the organizational culture’s problems. Additionally, Voigt accused Rose, the CEO and president of Miss USA, of unprofessional and toxic behavior in the letter. According to Rose, these behaviors included bullying Voigt, not meeting contractual obligations, and lying about Voigt to other Miss USA members. Rose, the new Miss USA in 2022, did not reply to a message seeking comment.
In her letter of resignation, Voigt stated, “I’m sure I am not required to inform you all that pageants are struggling to stay relevant.” People who know me well and who see the mess being created and the brand being devalued are telling me they are anxious to compete in the USA system and would prefer to spend their time and money in more dependable companies with stronger alliances.
Former reality TV star and 1995 Miss USA Shanna Moakler, who is currently a state director for the Miss USA organization, supported Voigt on Instagram and discussed the organization’s problems.
We are not sitting idly by; rather, we are doing everything in the background to secure the future of an organization we adore, though I can’t speak for all State Directors. Moakler wrote.
Walker has advised her fans in the pageant community to postpone entering the Miss USA competition in light of the ongoing scandals. Walker claimed that Miss USA titleholders are required to sign increasingly onerous nondisclosure agreements, which served as inspiration for her “heartbreaking” advice. In her resignation statement, Voigt wrote “I am silenced” as the first letter of each sentence.
Walker stated, “I wanted to give the young women I work with a heads up and a little warning of what they’re getting into because I care about them.” “I don’t think the Laylah Rose era can last in its current form.”