What to know before Sunday’s beauty pageant

The Miss USA pageant returns on Sunday, more than two months after the organization was marred by controversy. In May, then-Miss USA Noelia Voigt (Miss Utah) resigned and accused president and CEO Laylah Rose of facilitating a toxic work environment. Rose remains at the top of the organization and soon a new winner will be crowned in one of the oldest beauty pageants in the country.

“My mission is to keep this organization/brand elevated and at the forefront of our decision-making at all times. Miss USA and Miss Teen USA [are the leaders] in the pageant industry, the leader[s] this will champion the social causes of the delegates because they are worthy,” Rose said in a statement obtained by Yahoo Entertainment ahead of the contest.

Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava also abdicated her position shortly after Voigt.

“We go beyond comparison,” Rose continued. “We foster a culture of standing out, believing that all women have unique strengths, goals and desires, while providing a safe space with latitude to use their voices for their own causes that speak to their heart. I’m proud to leading this organization to success and flourishing in a space where it should be!”

Here’s what you should know before Sunday’s show.

Didn’t a new winner just be crowned?

Yes. After Voigt’s resignation, Miss Hawaii USA Savannah Gankiewicz became the current title holder. She was runner-up in the 2023 competition.

“I still believe in the Miss USA organization and its future, and my intention is to make positive changes from within and rebuild its legacy,” she said. wrote on Instagram. “To the 2024 delegates, I want you to know that the Miss USA title will endure and give you the tools to achieve greatness.

Despite the mid-year change, the annual pageant will continue as planned and crown Miss USA 2024.

On Thursday, Addie Carver of Mississippi was named Miss Teen USA. The title remained vacant after Srivastava’s resignation.

What was the controversy?

In a scathing resignation letter previously obtained by Yahoo News, Voigt stated that the “stress, instability and lack of support” he received from Rose “had a major impact on my physical health.”

“So-called leaders who seem to have a very big ego, lack of humility, lack of self-awareness and seem willing to lie, deceive, manipulate, throw people under the bus to serve their narrative, and only care about their self-esteem The image alone is dangerous and cowardly and should never be allowed to lead a women’s empowerment organization,” Voigt said in the letter. She claimed that the toxic environment was “at best mismanagement and at worst [was] intimidation and harassment.”

Former Miss USA social media director Claudia Engelhardt corroborated several of Voigt’s accusations against Rose to Yahoo News. Rose and the Miss USA Organization did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

When Voigt announced the news on social media, the internet quickly discovered that the first 11 sentences of her post read “I AM SILENCED,” leaving more questions.

Srivastava resigned two days later, writing on social media that his “personal values ​​are no longer fully aligned with the direction of the organization.”

What to expect on Sunday

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Garcelle Beauvais and AND! News‘ Keltie Knight will host the evening’s competition in Los Angeles. The judging panel includes Scheana Shay of Vanderpump RulesMiss USA 1990 Carole Gist, motivational speaker Natasha Graziano, CEO of Anastasia Beverly Hills Anastasia Soare and managing partner of APL NJ Falk.

There will be 51 representatives competing for the title. The winner will represent the United States in the Miss Universe 2024 competition later this year.

The 73rd Miss USA Pageant will air live on Sunday, August 4th at 5pm PT/8pm ET on The CW.