Miss USA 2023 Noelia Voigt shocked the nation on Monday morning when she abruptly resigned the title, seemingly for mental health reasons.
Voigt Resigns
“I realize this may come as a large shock to many,” Voigt, 24, wrote on Instagram. “Never compromise your physical and mental well-being. Our health is our wealth.”
In her actual post, Voigt wrote that she feels that it’s important to make “decisions that feel best for 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,” Voigt stated. “Sadly, I have made the very tough decision to resign from the title of Miss USA 2023.”
Voigt did not elaborate on what specifically led her to resign, instead focusing on the positive by saying that she is “grateful for the love and support of the fans, old and new…”
“How I wish I could hug all of you, I love you with all my heart and always will,” she concluded. “Peace and love always.”
Now that Voigt has resigned, it is assumed that the Miss USA 2023 runner-up Miss Hawaii Savannah Gankiewicz will take over the title. Alabama.com reported that the Miss USA organization has responded by wishing Voigt “the best in this next chapter.”
“We respect and support Noelia’s decision to step down from her duties,” the organization said, according to AI.com. “The well-being of our titleholders is a top priority, and we understand her need to prioritize herself at this time.”
Watch Voigt open up about her Miss USA victory in an interview last year in the video below.
Related: Former Miss USA Cheslie Kryst Dies After Jumping From A NYC Building
Voigt’s History
Voigt attended the University of Alabama and Jefferson State Community College as well as the Aveda Institute Birmingham. Before becoming Miss USA, Voigt was employed as an interior design consultant for RH Birmingham. She is also a children’s book author, writing the anti-bullying book “Maddie The BRAVE” back in 2020.
Voigt initially competed for the title of Miss Alabama, finishing as the first-runner up for the pageant in 2022 and 2023. She then successfully won the title of Miss Utah, which ultimately led to her winning Miss USA in September of last year. After her victory, Voigt revealed that she grew up watching pageants with her mother, which led to her becoming passionate about them herself.
“My mom is from Venezuela, and over there, pageants are their Super Bowl and Olympics — it’s a huge deal,” Voigt told Business Insider. “So I had always wanted to do pageants from a really young age.”
Watch Voigt win Miss USA in the video below.
Voigt Competes In Miss Universe
Voigt went on to compete in the Miss Universe pageant in November of 2023, placing in the top 20 of that event. Afterwards, Voigt gushed over what an honor it was to represent America on the international stage.
“What an incredible feeling it was to yell my country name and proudly wear it across my chest,” she said, according to Yahoo News. “Soaking in all of these moments, wishing they could last forever.”
“I am honored to represent the USA, the melting pot of the world, and be a representative of all people, all backgrounds, and all cultures,” she continued.
Find out more about this in the video below.
Voigt really seemed to be enjoying her time as Miss USA, so her resignation comes as a massive shock to many. Please join us in saying a prayer for her as she takes the time that she needs to deal with her mental health.
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