Noelia Voigt announced her resignation from her title of Miss USA 2023 on Monday. Months after becoming the first Venezuelan-American woman to ever win the Miss USA pageant on Sept. 29, Voigt shared her decision to relinquish the title to focus on her mental health.
“In life, I strongly value the importance of making decisions that feel best for you and your mental health. As individuals, we grow through experiencing different things in life that lead us to learning more about ourselves. My journey as Miss USA has been incredibly meaningful, representing Utah with pride and later the USA at Miss Universe. Sadly, I have made the decision to resign from the title of Miss USA 2023,” she wrote on Instagram, adding, “I realize this may come as a large shock to many. Never compromise your physical and mental well-being.”
Voigt received the crown from Miss USA 2022 Morgan Romano of North Carolina. Voigt was born in Florida to an American-Venezuelan couple. The 22-year-old is a licensed esthetician and a certified lash technician.
On Wednesday, two days after Voigt’s resignation, Miss Teen USA 2023 UmaSofia Srivastava also announced she was stepping away from the role. 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,” she wrote in a statement.
Created by the Miss Universe Organization, which was founded by Catalina Swimwear, the first Miss USA pageant was held on June 28, 1952, in Long Beach, Calif. The pageant was initially organized as a way to promote Catalina Swimwear, and the winner of the pageant was awarded a contract to represent the company. The competition includes evaluations by a panel of judges who award scores to delegates based on their presentations of eveningwear, swimwear, as well as their responses to questions that spanned social and cultural topics.
While it does remain a beauty pageant, the organization’s messaging now promotes Miss USA winners as ambassadors of women’s empowerment and philanthropy. Current titleholder Morgan Romano, who was the first runner-up at Miss USA 2022 and received the crown after R’Bonney Gabriel won Miss Universe, has traveled the country advocating for women in STEM — Romano has a Bachelor of Science from the University of South Carolina. She also teamed up with Smile Train, a nonprofit that works to provide free and comprehensive cleft care for children.
Who owns the Miss USA?
Among its owners, the Miss USA pageant was under Donald Trump’s helm from 1996 to 2015 until talent management company IMG purchased it (along with Miss Universe and Miss Teen USA). In October 2022, Thai transgender entrepreneur Anne Jakrajutatip acquired the Miss Universe Organization.
American Miss Universe winners
Miss USA 1954 Miriam Stevenson is remembered as the first American to win the Miss Universe title and the only one who received a tied final score — she disputed the crown with Martha Rocha of Brazil. Both faced a last decisive round in the competition, and Stevenson ended up securing the title due to having a “better physique” for what Catalina Swimwear was looking for.
Since Stevenson, eight Miss USA winners have gone on to become Miss Universe, including:
• Miss Universe 1956 Carol Morris
• Miss Universe 1960 Linda Bement
• Miss Universe 1967 Sylvia Hitchcock
• Miss Universe 1980 Shawn Weatherly
• Miss Universe 1995 Chelsi Smith
• Miss Universe 1997 Brooke Lee
• Miss Universe 2012 Olivia Culpo
• Miss Universe 2022 R’Bonney Gabriel.
Olivia Culpo is one of the strongest names to come out of the Miss USA pageant in recent history. The 2012 winner is a social media influencer who has partnered with Miu Miu, Estée Lauder and other brands, and stars in “The Culpo Sisters” reality show. She has also demonstrated her acting abilities in “I Feel Pretty” and “Venus as a Boy.”
In the ’60s, a rule was established by the organization which stated that if a Miss USA wins the Miss Universe title, the first runner-up would take over the Miss USA title for the rest of that year.
Diversity in the Miss USA history
Macel Wilson became the first Asian American woman to win Miss USA in 1962, while Miss USA 2022 R’Bonney Gabriel was the first Filipina American to win the pageant and the second Asian American woman to win Miss Universe.
Carole Gist was the first African American woman to wear the Miss USA crown in 1990. Since then, 11 more Black contestants have won the title, including Miss USA 1993 Kenya Moore, who became one of the stars of “Real Housewives of Atlanta” and is the founder of her namesake hair care brand, and Miss USA 2020 Asya Branch, who made headlines for singing the national anthem at one of Donald Trump’s rallies in 2018.
Controversies
In 1957, Mary Leona Gage was disqualified after winning the crown. It was discovered that she had lied about her age, marital status and having children, which led to her being dethroned just a few days after her crowning. Charlotte Sheffield was named Miss USA 1957 and represented the country in the Miss Universe that year.
In 2000, Miss USA 1991 Kelli McCarty left the pageant world to become an adult film star. She later received a nomination as Best Actress for an AVN Award, considered the Oscars of the adult video industry. In 2006, the reigning Miss USA Tara Conner entered a drug rehabilitation program during her reign and later became an advocate against drug addiction.
Age restriction
Previously, the age limit for Miss USA pageant contestants was 18 and 28. In September, it was announced that the pageant would eliminate age limits for delegates over 18 years old starting in 2024.
The youngest Miss USA in history was Myrna Hansen, who was crowned at 17 in 1953. The oldest winner is R’bonney Gabriel, who was 28 when she won.
Since 1983, girls aged 14 to 19 can compete in the Miss Teen USA pageant.
