Savannah Gankiewicz named new Miss USA 2023 after Noelia Voigt’s resignation over bullying allegations

By Linh Le May 13, 2024 | 04:32 am PT

The Miss USA Organization has appointed Savannah Gankiewicz–who is of Filipino, Polish, and Vietnamese descent–as the new Miss USA 2023 following Noelia Voigt’s resignation.

Miss USA 2023 Savannah Gankiewicz. Photo from Gankiewicz's Instagram

Gankiewicz, 28, was declared Voigt’s successor on May 9, according to the Daily Mail. The Miss USA Organization intends to formally crown Gankiewicz in her native state of Hawaii the following week.

"We are proud to crown Savannah Miss USA 2023, a true representation of vision, intelligence, and compassion," stated Laylah Rose, the pageant’s president and CEO.

The New York Post reported that on May 6, seven months after her coronation, Voigt, the 24-year-old original titleholder, declared her intention to relinquish her Miss USA crown. She cited the need to prioritize her mental health as the reason for her decision.

This made her the first titleholder to voluntarily step down in the pageant’s 72-year history.

As reported by CNN, Voigt provided a resignation letter to the Miss USA organization, in which she listed various concerns, from frustrating managerial issues to more serious allegations. She described the working environment she experienced as "toxic," characterized at its best by poor management and, at its worst, by bullying and harassment.

The situation escalated when fans deciphered a hidden message in Voigt’s statement, which she posted on her Instagram account on May 7. The first letter of each sentence in her post spelled out "I AM SILENCED."

Voigt’s resignation occurred merely days after the resignation of Claudia Michelle, the pageant’s social media director, on May 3.

Michelle revealed in an Instagram post that she had been working without compensation for two months, was not provided with adequate staff, and felt that management had shown disrespect towards the winners.

She also mentioned that she had observed a decline in Voigt’s mental health during her tenure with the beauty queen.

The controversy surrounding the Miss USA pageant further deepened with the resignation of Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava on May 8.

These three resignations have led to allegations that suggest a toxic culture within the organization, including micromanagement and enforced behaviors like mandatory smiling, as well as accounts of bullying and significant mental health challenges faced by participants.