Miss Teen USA Steps Down – BUT WHY?
Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava has stepped down from her role as Miss Teen USA – just days after Miss USA Noelia Voight did the same – blaming mental health concerns and a conflict of values with the parent organization.
On Wednesday May 8, 2024 Srivastava wrote in an Instagram post that she was prematurely stepping away from her 2023 Miss Teen USA title, saying that her “personal values no longer fully align with the direction of the organization.”
Srivastava, 17, of New Jersey, was the first Miss Teen USA winner of mixed Mexican and Indian descent. In her statement announcing her resignation, Yahoo! reports Srivastava said she would continue her advocacy work on behalf of the Lotus Petal Foundation and the Bridge of Books Foundation. She also thanked “those who support me for who I am and have always been, not for who I’ve momentarily become.”