Miss Teen USA resigned Wednesday, sending further shock waves through the pageant community just days after Miss USA said she would relinquish her crown.
In an Instagram post Wednesday, Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava said her “personal values no longer fully align with the direction of the organization.”
“After months of grappling with this decision, I have made the choice to resign from the title of Miss Teen USA 2023,” wrote Srivastava in a statement on her personal account. The high school teen from New Jersey won the pageant back in September and had expressed her pride at being the first Mexican-Indian American to hold the role.
“I look forward to the rest of the year as I finish 11th grade as part of the National Honor Society and start the college application process, knowing that my academic career has been defined by my hard work, and my hard work alone,” she added.
She said she would continue her advocacy for education and acceptance alongside work with the Lotus Petal and Bridge of Books foundations.
The pageant responded with an Instagram post, writing that it respected Srivastava’s decision, considered the well-being of titleholders “a top priority,” and that a successor would be named soon.
Srivastava and the Miss Universe and Miss USA organizations did not immediately respond to CNN’s requests for comment.
