New Miss USA crowned after previous winner resigns over 'extreme mental pressure'

A new Miss USA has been crowned after the previous beauty queen resigned over mistreatment and harassment, The National News reported. 

The last 10 days have proved very tumultuous for the Miss Universe Organisation, as three of its pageant holders resigned in a matter of a few days.

First Miss USA 2023 Noelia Voigt resigned, followed by Miss Teen USA 2023 UmaSofia Srivastava, and later Miss Colorado Arianna Lemus also decided to give up her title.

The sudden resignation triggered a fresh wave of scrutiny and criticism of the Miss Universe Organisation over its mistreatment and extreme mental pressure.

Savannah Gankiewicz, 28, of Hawaii, was crowned the new Miss USA 2023 on Wednesday. She had been the first runner-up in the pageant last September and will now hold the title until August.

Announcing her resignation, Voigt wrote on social media that her "personal values no longer fully align with the direction of the organisation". 

She also accused the pageant’s chief executive, Laylah Rose, of "slandering her character". 

In her long post, fans were quick to notice a hidden message between the words. The first letter of the first 11 sentences in the post spelled out, "I am silenced".