Days after Miss USA Noelia Voigt resigned, Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava has now relinquished her crown. Srivastava made the announcement in an Instagram post, saying she decided to depart because her "personal values no longer fully align with the direction of the organization."
Why did Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava resign?
"After months of grappling with the decision, I have made the choice to resign from the title of Miss Teen USA 2023. I am grateful for all the support from my family, my state directors, my sister queens, and the fans who have cheered me on since I won my state title," Srivastava wrote in a photo post. "I will always look back on my time as Miss NJ Teen USA fondly, and the experience of representing my state as a first generation, Mexican-Indian American at the national level was fulfilling in itself."
“After careful consideration, I’ve decided to resign as I find that my personal values no longer fully align with the direction of the organization,” she continued. “However, I will continue my relentless advocacy for education and acceptance, with my multi-lingual children’s book ‘The White Jaguar’ and with the organizations that I have had the privilege to work with long before starting competing...”
Srivastava said she wishes to enjoy finishing 11th grade and is excited to begin the college application process. She said she will continue to be a part of the National Honour Society, adding that she had a brand “new writing project” that should be released this year.
{{/usCountry}}Srivastava said she wishes to enjoy finishing 11th grade and is excited to begin the college application process. She said she will continue to be a part of the National Honour Society, adding that she had a brand “new writing project” that should be released this year.
{{/usCountry}}The picture post is captioned, “Thank you to everyone who has supported me these past two years, it has truly been an honor to represent you all. While this was certainly not how I saw my reign coming to a close, I am excited to continue my advocacy for education and acceptance, start applying to colleges, and share some exciting new projects on That’s Fan Behavior with those of you who plan to stick around.”
The caption adds, “At the end of the day, I am so lucky to have had the privilege of this experience, but if this is just a chapter, I know that the story of my life will truly be incredible.”
Srivastava was crowned Miss Teen USA 2023. Earlier in the same year, she was crowned Miss New Jersey Teen USA 2023.
After Srivastava’s resignation, Miss Teen USA’s Instagram account shared her photo with the caption, “We respect and support UmaSofia’s decision to step down from her duties. The well-being of our titleholders is a top priority. We are currently reviewing plans for the transition of responsibilities to a successor, and we will soon announce the crowning of the new Miss Teen USA.”