Miss USA Noelia Voigt steps down after just seven months to prioritize her ‘mental and physical health’
Reigning Miss USA Noelia Voigt announced her resignation just seven months after winning the pageant to focus on her “physical and mental well-being.”
Voigt, 24, declared she would resign in a statement posted to Instagram on Monday, days after posting a photo taken at the Kentucky Derby.
“In life, I strongly value the importance of making decisions that are best for you and your mental health,” she wrote.
“My journey as Miss USA has been incredibly meaningful, proudly representing Utah and later the USA at Miss Universe. Unfortunately, I have made the very difficult decision to relinquish the title of Miss USA 2023.”
Voigt was given the title last September after campaigning on anti-bullying, dating violence awareness and immigration reform. She was the first Venezuelan-American woman to win the pageant.
Miss USA 2023 Noelia Voigt announced her resignation in an Instagram post, days after appearing at the Kentucky Derby
Voigt, 24, was crowned last September after campaigning against anti-bullying and immigration reform, but plans to step down to prioritize her “physical and mental well-being”
“In life, I strongly value the importance of making decisions that are best for you and your mental health,” Voigt wrote in the announcement Monday.
“I realize this may come as a big shock to many,” Voigt wrote in the post. ‘Never compromise your physical and mental well-being.’
Her announcement came just days after she appeared at the Kentucky Derby wearing a dress by Sherri Hill, a brand she has collaborated with extensively in the past.
Miss USA is a national beauty pageant that selects the contestant from the United States for the Miss Universe pageant. It has been held every year since 1952.
Shortly after Voigt’s announcement, the Miss USA Organization released its own statement on social media.
“Thank you, Noelia, for your service as Miss USA. We wish you the best in this next chapter,” the statement began.
“We respect and support former Miss USA Noelia Voigt’s decision to resign from her position. The well-being of our beneficiaries is a top priority, and we understand her need to prioritize herself at this time.”
The organization added that it has begun the process of transferring Voigt’s responsibilities to a successor.
The competition, which advertises itself as “an important part of the pageant industry,” has long been marred by both controversy and tragedy.
The Miss USA Organization released its own statement thanking Voigt for her “service” and announcing that a successor would take over her responsibilities
The pageant has been marred by controversies, including the suicide of Miss USA 2019 Cheslie Kryst
Kryst, who jumped to her death from a Manhattan high-rise in January 2022, describes in a posthumous memoir how the reaction to her victory led her to commit suicide.
Several contestants later claimed that former Miss USA Organization vice president Max Sebrechts sexually harassed them
Sebrechts’ wife Crystle Stewart – herself a former winner – was suspended from her role as national director of Miss USA and Miss Teen USA and later resigned
Miss USA 2019 Cheslie Kryst jumped to her death from a Manhattan high-rise in January 2022.
In a posthumous memoir released last month, Kryst explained how the backlash she faced in the aftermath of her victory led to her decision to commit suicide.
The same year after her death, participants accused the organization of giving preferential treatment to R’Bonney Gabriel, who was eventually crowned the winner.
When an investigation ensued, Miss USA’s umbrella company, Miss Brands, was suspended by the global Miss Universe Organization.
Sexual harassment claims later emerged, with several contestants alleging that former Miss USA Organization vice president Max Sebrechts made unwanted advances toward them.
Amid the fallout, Sebrechts’ wife Crystle Stewart – herself a former winner – was suspended from her role as national director of Miss USA and Miss Teen USA.
She officially resigned in August 2023 and was replaced by fashion designer Laylah Rose.
Miss USA later announced that the manipulation claims had been refuted through an “extensive investigation.”
Voigt’s resignation is also not the first time that a winner has relinquished her title.
Mary Leona Gage, the winner of the 1957 pageant, was forced to resign when it was revealed that she had lied about her age and concealed other details about her life, including the fact that she was twice married and a mother of two young children.
In an online biography, Voight said her dream is “to start her own design firm and host a TV show where she gives back to families in need of a home makeover.”
She won a series of competitions before being named Miss USA, including Miss Teen Florida United States, Miss Collegiate America and Miss Alabama USA
She is the author of a children’s book dedicated to a nine-year-old child who died by suicide due to bullying at school and has worked extensively with Smile Train
It is unclear whether Voigt will now turn her focus to the goals outlined in a biography on the Miss USA Organization’s website.
According to the biography, her dream is “to start her own design firm and host a TV show where she gives back to families in need of a home makeover.”
Voigt was born in Sarasota, Florida, to a Venezuelan mother and an American father, Jack David Voigt, a professional baseball player whose long career included a coaching stint with the New York Mets.
She attended Pine View School for the Gifted in Osprey, Florida, and won the Miss Teen Florida United States contest at the age of 18. After graduating, she attended the University of Alabama and the National Design Academy UK.
Voigt previously competed in the Miss Collegiate America pageant and earned the title of Miss Alabama Collegiate America in 2020.
Shortly after her win, she wrote a children’s book titled “Maddie the Brave” in honor of Madison Whittsett, a nine-year-old Alabama girl who committed suicide after relentless bullying by her schoolmates.
After placing first runner-up at Miss Alabama USA for the second consecutive year, Voigt moved to Utah in April 2023 and competed for the title of Miss Utah USA 2023.
She won her adoptive state pageant and went on to represent Utah at Miss USA 2023.
After her coronation, Voight embarked on a global tour to promote Smile Train, a nonprofit organization that provides funding and support for medical professionals to perform free cleft palate surgeries.