The Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants might be toxic enough to deter anyone from taking its title, even if it’s a legitimate “handover” of titles.
After the Miss Teen USA winner stepped down, the runner-up refused the crown. Stephanie Skinner, formerly Miss Teen New York, wrote in her Instagram, “I believe this is the right decision to make.”
Rejecting the Runner-Up Duty
In many beauty pageants, the runner-up’s duty is to step up when the titleholder is unavailable or resigns. Miss Teen USA, UmaSofia Srivastava, has stepped down, and her crown should have rightfully gone to Skinner, but the runner-up doesn’t want it either.
Talking to The New York Post, Skinner admitted, “I ultimately came to the decision to decline it. I didn’t feel like it was the right decision considering all the circumstances.”
The Circumstances of Miss USA Pageants
For those who are late to the news, let’s catch up. The 24-year-old Miss USA Noelia Voigt and the 17-year-old Srivastava both abdicated their titles within days of each other.
Voigt cited mental health issues while Srivastava wrote that her “personal values no longer fully align with the direction of the organization.”
Rumors of Bullying and Toxic Environments
There were also rumors of bullying and toxicity in the working environments for these beauty pageant winners, revealed by Miss USA Organization social media manager Claudia Michelle. Michelle, not having signed an NDA like the pageant winners have done, was able to speak more freely about the situation.
“I feel the way current management speaks about their titleholders is unprofessional and inappropriate; I disavow workplace toxicity and bullying of any kind,” Michelle wrote on Instagram. She added: “I believe Noelia and Uma’s mental health and happiness has taken a toll and I cannot remain silent about that.”
Scandals Deterring Skinner
The 19-year-old Skinner from New Hartford, New York, who is also a junior of economics major at the Wharton School of University of Pennsylvania, felt unable to accept the Miss Teen USA title thanks to these scandals.
She chose instead to stand “in solidarity and standing up for female empowerment. My integrity and my character will always come before crowns.” Skinner has received praise for her stance, from fans and from (who might be) Voigt and Srivastava, who wrote in the comments of her Instagram post.
A Difficult Pill to Swallow
Despite the ease with which she delivered her rejection of the title, Skinner truly didn’t come to that decision easily.
She has relied on scholarships for her entire academic career and has worked so hard for the title since she was 12 years old. “I missed birthdays, proms, and personal high school events training for this. It’s like a sport,” she said. “You dedicate your entire life to this goal.”
Not Just Glitz and Glam
Skinner was certainly brave for standing up for what she believes in. But her background and activism seem to have influenced her actions.
“Pageants have their stigma about being just about the glitz and the glam, but for me it’s about the advocacy. I grew up in a single parent household. I’m a survivor of family domestic violence and that’s why I created my own organization.”
Hands of Hope
Skinner told The Post about Hands of Hope, the national organization she founded in 2019 that empowers 20,000 teens with a self-acceptance message.
In her website, the Hands of Hope’s mission is to educate on “the importance of being aware of all forms of abuse from bullying to domestic violence while providing realistic tools to prevent and address the aggression epidemic facing our country.”
In Contrast With Miss USA Runner-Up
The decision made by Skinner directly contrasts the Miss USA runner-up Savannah Gankiewicz’s decision. The 28-year-old former Miss Hawaii decided to take Voigt’s crown as Miss USA … and received backlash over it.
Gankiewicz wrote on Instagram, “Please know that my decision to accept the Miss USA crown was not one that was made lightly. I stand with Noelia and admire her strength to step down and prioritize her mental health.”
Disappointment From Fans
Fans were disappointed by Gankiewicz’s takeover of the crown, saying that she’ll see “exactly why Noelie stepped down in a matter of days.” Another wrote, “Sisterhood is officially dead, we gotta do better as a collective.”
But her mother, Yvienne Peterson, came to her defense. “I have raised a warrior and your hateful comments she can endure.” She also seemingly dismissed Voigt’s troubles by saying “If that was the worst … maybe they have forgotten what their primary role was and that was to be a role model for women.”
Miss USA CEO Named as Bully
Both Michelle and a source close to the situation seemed to imply the Miss USA Pageant CEO, Laylah Rose, was one of the bullies who made Voigt’s life difficult and disrespected Srivastava’s family.
The source told The Post, “Noelia wakes up every day on pins and needles because of harassing emails [from pageant organizers]: ‘Don’t do this,’ ‘Don’t do that,’ ‘Take that post down,’ ‘Unlike that post.’ ‘You can’t speak to anybody, remember your NDA you can’t go here unless we confirm.’ It’s micromanaged to the 10th degree and harassing.”
Future Work for a Beauty Queen
While the embattled pageants must face evaluation from The CW, the network broadcasting them, over their relationship, Skinner continues to support Voigt and Srivastava. “Although I do not know exactly what Noelia and Uma went through to lead them to resign, I am sending them immense love and support.”
And Skinner will continue to keep busy, as she has a work commitment in her near future. She wrote on Instagram, “My word is my everything. I gave my commitment to a global research career opportunity in Thailand that will require me to live abroad for the summer.”
