Miss USA returns after toxic workplace scandal: What to know ahead of tonight's beauty pageant
Former Miss USA Noelia Voigt called out the organization in a scathing resignation letter in May. A new winner will soon be crowned.
The Miss USA pageant returns tonight, more than two months after the organization was marred by controversy. In May, then-reigning Miss USA Noelia Voigt (Miss Utah) resigned and accused president and CEO Laylah Rose of facilitating a toxic work environment. Rose remains in her position atop the organization, and a new winner will soon be crowned at one of the country's longest-running beauty pageants.
"My mission is to keep this organization/brand elevated and at the forefront of our decision making at all times. Miss USA & Miss Teen USA [are the leaders] in the pageant industry, the leader[s] that will champion the social causes of the delegates because they have merit," Rose said in a statement obtained by Yahoo Entertainment ahead of the pageant.
Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava also abdicated her post shortly after Voigt.
"We go beyond comparison," Rose continued. "We promote a stand-out culture, believing that all women have unique strengths, goals and desires, while providing a safe space with latitude to use their voices for their own causes that speak to their heart. I am proud to lead this organization to success and flourish in a space it was meant to be in!"
Here's what to know ahead of Sunday's show.
?? Wasn't a new winner just crowned?
Yes. After Voigt resigned, Miss Hawaii USA Savannah Gankiewicz became the current title holder. She was the runner-up in the 2023 competition.
"I still believe in the Miss USA organization and its future, and my intention is to make positive changes from within and rebuild its legacy," she wrote on Instagram. "To the 2024 delegates, I want you to know that the Miss USA title will endure and it will give you the tools to achieve greatness. You just have to take a leap of faith and believe in yourself."
In an interview with People published Saturday, Gankiewicz said her experience thus far "has been nothing but great."
"I've had the best time of my life, the best three months of my life. I'm honestly so grateful that I took this opportunity and I didn't get scared to not take it," she said.
Despite the midyear change, the annual pageant will continue as planned and crown Miss USA 2024.
On Thursday, Addie Carver of Mississippi was named Miss Teen USA. The title remained vacant after Srivastava resigned.
?? What was the controversy all about?
In a blistering resignation letter previously obtained by Yahoo News, Voigt claimed the "stress, instability and lack of support" she received from Rose "greatly impacted my physical health."
"So-called leaders who seem to have too big of an ego, lack humility, lack self-awareness, and seem willing to lie, gaslight, manipulate, throw people under the bus to serve their narrative, and only care about their self-image alone are dangerous and cowardly and should never be allowed to be in charge of a women's empowerment organization," Voigt said in the letter. She alleged that the toxic environment was "at best, poor management and, at worst, [was] bullying and harassment."
Former Miss USA social media director Claudia Engelhardt corroborated several of Voigt's accusations against Rose to Yahoo News. Rose and the Miss USA Organization did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
When Voigt announced the news on social media, the internet quickly discovered the first 11 sentences in her post spelled out "I AM SILENCED," leaving more questions.
Srivastava resigned two days later, writing on social media that her "personal values no longer fully align with the direction of the organization."
?? What to expect tonight
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Garcelle Beauvais and E! News' Keltie Knight will host the evening's competition in Los Angeles. The panel of judges includes Scheana Shay from Vanderpump Rules, Miss USA 1990 Carole Gist, motivational speaker Natasha Graziano, Anastasia Beverly Hills CEO Anastasia Soare and APL managing partner NJ Falk.
There will be 51 representatives vying for the title. The winner will go on to represent the United States at the Miss Universe 2024 competition later this year.
The 73rd Miss USA pageant will air live on Sunday, Aug. 4, at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET on the CW.
